Hazard Recognition and Construction Safety Training Efficacy Study Using Virtual Reality (VR)

Abstract

The majority of construction site incidents occur due to a lack of hazard awareness among workers on jobsites. This lack of awareness is despite mandatory construction safety training, typically in the form of written content (safety manuals) or of images depicting hazards. To reduce jobsite injuries and fatalities, general contractors have started adopting Virtual Reality (VR) to impart safety training to jobsite personnel. VR safety training is typically an immersive simulation comprising potential safety hazards embedded into a virtual jobsite; users are required to identify these hazards within a specified time frame with the expectation that they will be more adept at recognizing hazards on an actual jobsite, resulting in a fewer number of accidents. This study seeks to identify the actual impacts of VR on construction safety awareness among participants. The research addresses the following question: Does VR safety training increase hazard recognition awareness to a greater extent than conventional safety training? The method used for this research included: (a) assessing participants’ construction safety awareness after receiving VR training and comparing it against their past construction safety awareness; (b) assessing participants’ construction safety awareness after receiving conventional training and comparing it against their past construction safety awareness, and (c) comparing the delta or level of improvement observed in part (a) against levels of improvement observed in part (b). The research objective was to determine if VR training can offer greater improvement in safety awareness. Participants were asked to complete a multiple-choice Qualtrics questionnaire. The results of the study showed a statistically significant knowledge gain advantage with the use of VR.