Improvement of short-term outcomes with VR-based safety training for work at heights.

Serious games and virtual reality offer engaging learning opportunities and a cost-effective solution within an immersive and safe environment for safety training in construction. However, there have been few examples of safety training for work at heights developed using these technologies, especially commercial training. To fill this literature gap, a new VR-based safety training was developed and compared with lecture-based training across time. We conducted a quasi-experiment with a non-equivalent group design with 102 workers from six construction sites in Colombia. Learning objectives, observations from training centers, and national regulations were considered during the design of the training methods. Training outcomes were assessed using Kirkpatrick's model. We found that both training approaches were effective in improving knowledge test results and self-reported attitudes in the short-term; and risk-perception, self-reported behavior and safety climate in the long-term. In particular, participants of the VR-based training got significantly higher results in knowledge and reported higher attitudes (commitment and motivation) than participants of the lecture-based training. We suggest that safety managers and practitioners should invest in VR using serious games as an alternative to training programs based on short-term outcomes. Future work is needed to test VR for long-term outcomes.

The effectiveness of virtual safety training in work at heights: A literature review.

Virtual environment techniques are technologies that can be used for safety training, and deliver significant advantages (e.g. risk-free, immersive learning). However, no studies have assessed the effectiveness of this training for work at heights (WAH). This paper aimed to synthesize the outcomes criteria for measuring the effectiveness of virtual safety training of WAH in different work sectors. A total of 658 records were identified through an explorative search of relevant citations from 2010 onwards. Only 21 documents were considered and classified according to the training goal: improvement of knowledge, skills or attitudes. Outcomes criteria of virtual safety training were analyzed according to Kirkpatrick's model. The results support practitioners and safety managers by providing an inventory of training methods, evaluation indicators and evaluation effects. Further recommendations are made for the design of an effective training assessment.

Whole-body vibration and back pain-related work absence among heavy equipment vehicle mining operators.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between several whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure estimates and back pain-related work absence. METHODS: Exposures (based on the weighted daily root mean square acceleration, A(8); the daily vibration dose value, VDV(8); and the daily equivalent static compression dose, Sed(8)) of 2302 workers during 4 years were estimated using each worker's monthly vehicle operation records and WBV measurements from 11 different types of heavy equipment vehicles in a large coal mine. Company payroll data provided work absence during the concurrent 4 years of exposure. Cox regression models estimated the associations between the different WBV metrics and time to first work absence related to back pain. An adjusted R2 statistic provided a measure of model fit. RESULTS: All estimated metrics of WBV exposures were positively and significantly associated with back pain-related absence. HRs varied from 2.03 to 12.39 for every 0.21 m/s2 increase in the A(8)-based exposures; from 1.03 to 1.18 for every 1.72 m/s1.75 increase in VDV(8)-based exposures; and from 1.04 to 1.07 for every 0.06 MPa increase in Sed(8)-based exposures. Models using the estimated VDV(8) metric for the z axis fit the data best as measured by the R2 statistic. CONCLUSION: Higher WBV exposures were associated with back pain-related absences in this population, which appears after a few years of follow-up. Introducing controls to lower exposure levels may help reduce back pain-related work absences.

Assessment of Whole-Body Vibration Exposure in Mining Earth-moving Equipment and Other Vehicles Used in Surface Mining.

This study characterized whole-body vibration exposures in a set of vehicles that operate in open-pit mines and compared three different daily exposure parameters based on the ISO 2631-1:1997 and ISO 2631-5:2004 standards. Full-shift, 6 to 12-hour, continuous whole-body vibration measurements were collected from 11 representative types of vehicles in terms of hours of operation and number of vehicles used. For each type of vehicle, the exposure parameters (A(8), VDV(8), and Sed(8)) were calculated for each axis (x, y, and z), and in addition, shear or horizontal (∑xy) and vector sum (∑xyx) whole-body vibration exposure. Findings showed that: (i) substantially higher shear and vector sum whole-body vibration exposures indicated relatively high levels of exposure on the non-predominant axis; (ii) the predominant axis of exposure varied across the different type of vehicles; (iii) there were differences in whole-body vibration exposure parameters regarding the standards-based predictions of potentially adverse health outcomes (the impulsive exposure parameters VDV(8) and Sed(8) were higher and reduced acceptable vehicle operation times by one-half to two-thirds relative to A(8) exposures); and (iv) based on the predominant exposures and the time to reach daily vibration action limits, the operation of most mining vehicles would be limited to less than 8 hours a day. Differences in whole-body vibration exposure parameters impact the prediction of potentially adverse health outcomes and may introduce some uncertainty regarding how to best characterize a vehicle operator's actual exposure.