VR Training for High-Risk Industries: Revamping Skills and Safety

VR is no longer a niche technology. Something that looks great at a tech show but doesn’t do much else. Nowadays VR is a powerful tool that’s used in professional training across a range of high-risk industries. Whether it’s handling hazardous or sensitive materials, working at height or simulating medical emergencies, VR is transforming training in many sectors.

This article delves into how VR helps workers learn and practice practical skills in areas such as engineering, manufacturing, construction, emergency services, and healthcare, without the real-world risks associated with traditional training methods.

VR can remove the costs and risks associated with training in dangerous, expensive or impractical locations. Think real world training with virtual world dangers. Immersive technology simulates a huge range of different scenarios and situations that allow learners to experiment. They get hands-on and make mistakes without risking death or injury. 

Medical students can learn procedures on virtual patients, engineering firms can recreate scenarios for maintenance on dangerous machinery, and construction workers can simulate working at height without risk of injury.

For organisations of all sizes, safe training with VR can be a game-changing investment. High-fidelity VR experiences are now the norm, with next-generation tech like haptic feedback, smart glasses and immersive environments transforming how learning is delivered and engaged with.

In the same way that VR can simulate dangerous scenarios for training, it can also replicate complex machinery, structures and workflows for engineers and mechanics. Learners can practice, testing hands-on repairs and maintenance on expensive machinery without risking damage. 

Whether it’s a jet engine, a complex data centre, a manufacturing plant or anything else, workflows can be optimised, solutions can be tested and, crucially, mistakes can be made. Likewise, complex tasks can be broken down into manageable sections that help improve learning outcomes and prevent cognitive overload.

And it’s not just reactive training. Virtual simulations in manufacturing can teach operators how to use heavy machinery, navigate assembly lines or follow production processes. This practical VR training reduces downtime and improves ROI as employees can learn without interrupting the production of real-world machinery.

Construction is dangerous. It’s the most dangerous industry in the UK to work in ahead of agriculture, manufacturing and even the armed forces.

According to The New Civil Engineer in 2022, “the three most common causes of fatal injuries continue to be falling from height (29), being struck by a moving vehicle (23), and being struck by a moving object (18).” VR training in high-risk industries like construction is not only a sensible investment from a financial perspective, it can save lives. 

For example, immersive training environments can cover dangerous scenarios like handling hazardous materials, moving around on scaffolding, navigating complex site layouts and operating heavy machinery. All completely risk-free.

Likewise, virtual training platforms can also teach workers how to respond in an emergency. Anything from evacuating an injured employee, responding to dangerous weather events or dealing with fire can be practised in a safe environment

We mentioned fire safety, but VR is transformative for emergency services. By their nature, emergencies are all unique and very stressful. They’re situations where decisions matter. Where mistakes can be fatal for both patient and responder. 

Whether it’s fire safety, policing social disorder, responding to natural disasters or managing critical incidents, VR can provide both physical and psychological training. Processes and response tactics can be created and optimised, while learners can experience real-world situations in a safe environment – practising their responses to trauma and testing their decision-making under stress.

We recently worked with a regional UK Police Force, creating an interactive learning environment for forensics and ballistics training. Utilising immersive technology for training recruits, learners could interact with their environment and receive instant feedback without the risk of contaminating a crime scene.

Healthcare is one of the biggest sectors that is being transformed by practical and risk-free VR training. Medical professionals from surgeons to psychiatrists, dentists to doctors can simulate various high-stakes and complex procedures before moving on to a real patient.

Trainee surgeons practice both routine and complex operations. Consultants can develop groundbreaking new procedures, simulating possible outcomes before implementing them. For example, researchers at Evelina London and King’s College London built digital versions of human hearts, created from real-life scans, to familiarise themselves with the patient’s condition before surgery. Not only does this reduce surgery times and potentially negate the need for follow-up surgery, medical professionals could trial the procedures beforehand to predict issues before they arise.

It’s not just physical treatment either. Nurses and doctors can test their bedside manner within virtual wards and with patients who respond to their voices. Mental health professionals can practise working with patients with complex and different needs, developing strategies and methods that are less likely to cause distress and trauma.

VR training solutions are the future of workplace training programs in high-risk and high-consequence industries. Whether it’s saving the lives of patients in medical settings, optimising complex manufacturing processes or maintaining high-end machinery, immersive and high-fidelity training environments are making it happen.

Next-gen VR devices with haptic feedback, superfast 5G data transfer, AI and voice recognition bring a range of benefits to any business: 

• Training can be conducted safely without risk to human life or valuable equipment. 
• Different processes, scenarios and models can be tested – avoiding expensive mistakes and informing future investments.
• Immersive environments improve learning compared to textbook or classroom situations. Instant feedback can be given to learners to improve performance in real-time.
• Learning can be compartmentalised and optimised to improve efficiency.

Interactive VR learning doesn’t just produce better learning outcomes. It can offer significant ROI improvements on traditional training – particularly in specialist industries. 

Employees can train at any time and any place, removing the need for complex in-person training programs. Physical training setups, travel time, machine downtime and materials costs are all reduced or negated altogether with VR tech. 

Our clients also tell us they see reduced accident rates, better employee performance and improved efficiency. All because they’ve invested in VR and their staff are fully prepared for the situations they find themselves in. 

VR isn’t just a trend, it’s fundamentally changing how entire sectors think of and approach training. From healthcare to technology, industry to construction, it provides a safe, scalable and immersive way to give employees hands-on experience. Virtual worlds can be updated. New technology can be incorporated as it becomes available. Training programs can be future-proofed to improve ROI and provide the best method for learners to refine their skills.

The future of training is immersive, scalable, and safe. If you’re looking to future-proof your business or improve safety and performance, VR training is the way forward. Discover how it can benefit your industry and Contact Us today.