Developing and Testing Training Tools for Fall Protection in Construction

Abstract

The major cause of fatal injuries in construction is due to falls, and their occurrence has only increased over the years. Ineffective and low-engaging methods used to deliver construction safety training content are among the major factors contributing to high injury rates. This can be prevented through more effective safety training. Serious Games are interactive training tools used with modern computer applications that offer engagement missing in traditional construction safety training methods. This paper aims to develop and test a construction safety training Serious Game titled, FallSafe, that focuses on fall protection training. FallSafe is implemented in Virtual Reality to create a life-like training experience and uses a first-person perspective and storyline to engage the player in reporting on-site hazards as a construction safety intern attending their first day of work on site. The implementation of a Serious Game framework during the development of FallSafe ensures consistent delivery of desired learning outcomes. FallSafe pilot-tested six students and is found to be an engaging and effective method of construction safety training and received praise for its storyline, interactivity, and use of Virtual Reality technology to deliver construction safety training. FallSafe has the potential to be further developed, tested, and implemented to teach construction safety on a large scale which could help prevent injury and death on the site and decrease costs to firms.