Evaluating the use of virtual reality in work safety: a literature review
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2020Metadata
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- Institutt for psykologi [3249]
- Publikasjoner fra CRIStin - NTNU [39811]
Abstract
Addressing the challenges related to the safety of the work routines is one of the top priorities for any modern industry, and constant investments are explicitly tailored to reduce work-related risks and to train employees to follow safety procedures. Technological progress and the widespread adoption of immersive visual technologies are nowadays offering the exciting possibility of improving the quality of safety training programs. Virtual Reality is one of the technologies that is gaining significant recognition in the field of safety training, and that may add a variety of benefits compared to traditional training programs.
Virtual reality provides companies with the possibility of training employees for safety procedures and risky operations in a safe and controlled environment, promising to reduce costs, as well as to promote the quality of the training. Furthermore, the technology may allow potentially dangerous procedures that now require the physical presence of operators to be performed remotely, without reducing performances. The fast development of newer, cheaper, and more versatile virtual reality head-mounted displays is creating new opportunities for the adoption of the technology in many industries, ranging from construction to heavy manufacturing, mining, and even food and beverage production. The present review analyses the current published scientific literature reporting the use of virtual reality in work safety and attempts to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks that come with the use of this technology. Furthermore, the listed and analysed the fields of application of virtual reality regarding work safety and critically examines possible problems of the technology