EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) It is a set of policies and procedures designed to protect the environment, health and safety of employees in the workplace. Companies that implement EHS standards minimize the risk of accidents, take care of workplace ergonomics and reduce the negative impact on the environment. The key areas of EHS are protecting the environment by reducing emissions and managing waste, ensuring healthy working conditions, and implementing safety procedures to prevent accidents. Virtual reality (VR) is becoming an increasingly important tool to support these actions, offering immersive training for realistic threat modeling and training employees to properly respond to emergencies.
Virtual Reality-a breakthrough in EHS learning
Traditional occupational health and safety trainings are often based on static presentations, instructional videos, or manuals that do not attract enough participants. As a result, employees acquire only theoretical knowledge, but do not have the opportunity to actually practice appropriate responses in emergency situations.
Virtual Reality (VR) is changing this approach by offering a fully interactive environment where participants can learn by doing. Thanks to advanced modeling, VR allows you to realistically display dangerous situations, while eliminating all the risks associated with a real work environment.
Experience realistic threat scenarios
VR allows you to create accurate and reliable emergency scenarios that would be difficult to reproduce in traditional training sessions. Workers may find themselves in simulated conditions of machine failure, fires, chemical leaks, electric shock, or structural collapse.
Examples of realistic threat modeling:
- Fires and Evacuation-Participants learn proper evacuation procedures, identify emergency exits, and use fire extinguishers in various fire scenarios.
- Machine failures-Employees can practice situations where unexpected machine failures occur, which helps them respond faster and minimize the impact of failures.
- Chemical hazards-Training allows you to simulate leaks of hazardous substances, teaching appropriate procedures for ensuring the scene of an accident and personal protection.
- Falling from a height-VR allows you to realistically display work at height, teaching you how to safely move through forests and roofs of buildings.
Practice responding to threats in a secure environment
One of the main advantages of VR is the ability to learn in realistic conditions, but without risking the health and life of participants. Traditional practical exercises in the workplace can be expensive and potentially dangerous, especially when they require the use of heavy equipment or chemicals.
VR eliminates this problem by allowing multiple tests to be performed in a fully controlled environment. Employees can easily test various strategies for responding to threats, learn from their mistakes, and develop the right habits.
Thanks to VR technology:
- Employees learn about the consequences of incorrect actions in simulated conditions, which makes it easier to remember security procedures.
- They can even practice complex crisis scenarios-for example, large-scale accidents that would be difficult to implement in reality.
- Training can be personalized for a specific position, which increases their effectiveness and usefulness in a particular industry.
Immersive VR increases the efficiency of learning
Research shows that learning through experience is much more effective than passive learning. VR engages all the participant’s senses, making learning more realistic and fun than traditional methods.
Interactivity-users can make decisions, analyze the situation, and perform actions independently, which activates thought processes and improves memorization.
Emotional Engagement-VR can elicit responses similar to those that might occur in a real-life emergency by teaching employees how to manage stress.
Realistic Environment-3D graphics and surround sound make the user feel like they are really in a certain place.
According to a PwC report (2021), virtual reality training can improve learning efficiency by as much as 76% compared to traditional methods. This means that employees learn knowledge faster, remember safety procedures better, and are better prepared for real-world emergencies.
Fixing errors before they actually happen
One of the biggest advantages of virtual reality training is the ability to repeat the same scenarios many times and analyze the mistakes made. In traditional training, employees can only learn from mistakes to a limited extent-often only in real-world situations that can lead to dangerous consequences.
Thanks to VR:
- Employees can complete the simulation several times until they are fully proficient in security procedures.
- Automatic analysis of results is possible, which allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of training and indicate areas that need improvement.
- The system can adjust the level of difficulty of modeling according to the user’s skills, which allows individual training.
An example is forklift operation training – using VR, operators can practice maneuvering in difficult storage conditions, avoiding costly accidents and equipment damage in a real-world work environment.
The future of VR at EHS – what’s in store for us?
Virtual reality (VR) in the EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) field is already changing the way companies train and prepare employees for potential threats. However, this technology does not stand still-in the coming years, we can expect even more development and improvements that will make learning more realistic, effective and affordable.
According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the value of the VR market in education and training will grow to $ 13.1 billion by 2026. This means that more and more companies will invest in cutting-edge VR technologies to improve workplace safety.
Advanced Modeling and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Currently, VR training is based on pre-prepared scenarios, but in the future there will be more dynamic and intelligent simulations that will adapt to the individual needs of the user.
AI that analyzes employee responses-The AI will be able to track user behavior in real time, detect errors and suggest better solutions. For example, if a VR training participant reacts too slowly to a threat, the system can immediately notify them of the error and repeat the simulation in a more complex scenario.
Adaptive learning-VR systems can automatically adapt the difficulty level of training to the employee’s skills. If the user makes a mistake in the evacuation procedure, subsequent scenarios may force them to act faster or make more complex decisions.
Emotion and stress analysis-Future VR simulations may use biometric tracking technology, such as analyzing your heart rate and your body’s response to stress. This will make training more realistic and prepare employees for crisis situations more effectively.
Development of tactile technologies and VR equipment
New technologies in VR will not be limited to advanced simulations-changes will also occur in the equipment used for training.
Advanced haptics-tactile gloves are already appearing, which allow users to feel touch and interact with the virtual environment. In the future, tactile technologies may allow you to sense temperature (for example, modeling hot surfaces in fire scenarios) or pressure forces, which will allow you to even better display real-world working conditions.
improved graphics and Mixed reality – MR – the development of graphics engines and Mixed Reality technologies will make learning even more fun. Employees will be able to train in a combination of the real world with virtual elements, for example, using VR in a real warehouse or production hall.
🔹 Greater VR Mobility-VR glasses are becoming more independent and convenient. New models like Meta Quest 3 eliminate the need for additional cables or computers, making it much easier for businesses to implement VR. This allows you to conduct training anywhere, which reduces costs and increases the availability of technology.
Integration of VR with Augmented Reality (AR) and IoT
Increasingly, VR will be combined with augmented reality (AR) and the Internet of Things (IoT), which will increase interactivity and efficiency of learning.
🔹 IoT in VR training-imagine that the VR training system is connected to real devices on the production floor. The employee puts on VR glasses and can learn how to operate the car in simulated conditions, but with access to real-time work data obtained from the device.
AR that supports EHS-Augmented reality can be used to continuously support employees in the field of security. Using AR, employees can get information about safe escape routes, hazard warnings, or machine operating instructions in real time.
Lower costs and versatility of VR training
Until now, one of the main challenges associated with VR has been its high implementation costs. However, as technology advances, VR hardware prices are decreasing, making it more accessible for companies to integrate VR training into their EHS programs.
🔹 VR Training Will Be More Accessible – With more affordable VR headsets and cloud-based platforms, even smaller companies will be able to utilize VR for employee training.
🔹 VR as a Service (VRaaS) – More companies are offering VR as a subscription service, allowing businesses to access advanced training programs without making large investments in hardware and software.
🔹 Better Integration with LMS (Learning Management Systems) – VR training will be more seamlessly integrated with corporate learning platforms, making it easier to track employee progress and customize training programs based on individual needs.
What’s Next for VR in EHS?
VR technology is already revolutionizing workplace safety training, but its future looks even more promising. In the coming years, we can expect:
✅ AI-powered simulations that analyze employee responses and adjust difficulty levels dynamically.
✅ Advanced haptics, allowing users to feel touch and force feedback in virtual environments.
✅ Integration of VR with AR and IoT, enabling seamless connection between virtual training and real-world work environments.
✅ Lower VR training costs, making it accessible to an even broader range of companies.
Virtual reality is becoming an essential component of modern safety management. Companies that invest in VR training today gain a competitive advantage in training effectiveness and workplace accident prevention.
