How effective is virtual reality for electrical safety training? Evaluating trainees' reactions, learning, and...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Educational Technology
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Low-voltage (LV) electrical equipment poses risks, necessitating effective worker safety training.
• Traditional lecture-based safety training is often ineffective.
• Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a potentially engaging and safe training alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of immersive VR for LV electrical safety training.
• To assess the benefits of VR technology for industrial safety applications.

Main Methods:

• A within-group experimental design with 18 participants was used.
• Training effectiveness was evaluated through participant reactions, learning assessments (pre-training, immediate post-training, and 4-week follow-up), and training duration.
• Participant reactions and training duration suitability were measured post-training.

Main Results:

• Participants reported highly positive reactions, including high engagement and enjoyment.
• Knowledge scores significantly improved immediately after VR training with large effect sizes.
• Knowledge scores remained significantly elevated four weeks post-training, despite a decrease from immediate post-training levels.
• The training duration (29-44 minutes) was deemed suitable.

Conclusions:

• LV VR training effectively engages trainees and enhances acquisition and retention of safety knowledge within a suitable timeframe.
• VR presents a promising alternative for organizations aiming to enhance their safety training programs through enjoyable, educational experiences.