Virtual reality application for construction safety training

Abstract

Safety has been one of the main concerns in the construction industry in recent years. Construction fatalities, injuries, and accidents impose unrecoverable losses and enormous costs every year. Despite all advancements in new methods, tools, equipment, and regulations, the rate of accidents, especially in fatal four, has not considerably improved. This fact has motivated safety professionals and researchers to explore further innovative ways to remedy the problem. One of the outcomes of safety studies is training. Continuous yet effective training can present essential safety knowledge to new employees and refresh the comprehension of current employees. However, such training sessions require funds, time commitment, and logistics. In recent years, the implementation of virtual reality (VR) for safety training has decreased the impact of obstacles and facilitated continuous training. This paper briefly addresses the design and development of a VR module for safety training in the roofing sector. The VR application was entirely designed and developed through an industry-based expert flow, using an agile methodology. A quantitative approach was employed to analyze the data and investigate various aspects of the VR module. The results showed that the VR module positively impacts roofing professionals’ perceptions of the applicability of VR applications as supplementary training tools. The influential factors identified in this research can be considered in the future design and development of VR-based safety applications.