Whether we’re talking about constructions sites, warehouses, commercial spaces, or office settings, today’s workplaces are a lot safer than they were a few decades ago, and in large part, we have tech advances to thank for the improvements and the increased levels of security that employees get to enjoy nowadays. That being said, it should not be ignored that risks and hazards are still very much present across all industries and sectors. Despite sustained efforts to ensure safer work environments, work-related accidents and injuries still happen every day, causing extensive damage to both employees and employers.
So, just because we’ve taken long strides towards enhancing workplace safety over the past few years doesn’t mean we can relax and expect things to run smoothly from now on. There’s always room for improvement, so remaining vigilant and striving to find new solutions to reduce the likelihood of workplace accidents as much as possible is a must.
Fortunately, technology continues to advance at a faster pace than ever before, with new innovations emerging to address longstanding workplace safety issues and concerns, and VR and AR are two prime examples in this respect.
From gaming to protecting
Most people have heard of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in a gaming context since gaming and entertainment are the sectors where these technologies were initially applied. The integration of VR and AR elements into video games has come to transform the gaming experience and revolutionize the sector in recent years.
Video game developers have always strived to create more realistic environments that would help players immerse themselves into the world of the games they play. VR and AR offered them the opportunity to take one step further in this direction. The games that make use of these cutting-edge technologies are able to deliver a superior game experience to players. VR and AR provide an extra layer of complexity that keeps users engaged by opening up new dimensions, enabling real-time interactions, making the game environment feel more lifelike and blurring the lines between the real and the virtual world.
However, gaming is not the only industry that can benefit from these innovative technologies. Over time, both VR and AR managed to transcend the gaming realm and found their way to numerous other sectors, expanding their applicability range considerably, with health and safety being one of the areas where they can be put to good use.
Health and safety use cases of VR and AR
Since VR and AR can recreate life-like scenarios and experiences and facilitate a series of interactions and operations, there are various ways in which they can support health and safety in the workplace, so we’re going to explore these use cases one by one.
Risk assessment
In order to reduce risks and hazards, one first needs to be able to identify them and be aware of their existence. AR and VR can serve as useful tools in this respect, enabling managers to conduct thorough risk evaluations and spot gaps and issues in due time, before they can turn into something more serious. VR allows users to analyse products and processes digitally, so they can detect potential flaws faster. AR can ensure real-time risk assessment, making employees aware of the hazards they are exposed to.
Safety alerts
Before tech solutions entered the health and safety scene, employees had to rely on their own senses to keep themselves safe. Nowadays, with the integration of AR in safety gear and equipment, employees can receive real-time safety alerts that can notify them as soon as they enter a dangerous area, or whenever they are about to conduct an unsafe activity, so they can remove themselves from the hazardous situation.
Reminders
When people work in the same environment for a long period of time, they can become oblivious to the risks and hazards that surround them every day. That can cause them to relax and completely ignore the health and safety protocols in place that are meant to keep them out of danger. Fortunately, AR technology can be used to refresh employees’ memory and remind them of risks, hazards and safety policies while also providing guidance in this respect, so they never lose sight of any of these aspects.
Training
Training plays a crucial role in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment and reducing the likelihood of work-related accidents and injuries. Unfortunately, a lot of companies don’t invest enough or know how to conduct proper training, and that can result in many unfortunate situations. That’s where AR and VR solutions step in, making the training process a lot more engaging, interactive and efficient.
These technologies allow for realistic simulations of different workplace situations, so employees can practice various tasks and operations and learn new skills in a risk-free environment. Since practice makes perfect, AR and VR improve information retention and enhance the effectiveness of learning.
Maintenance
Workplace maintenance is another health and safety area where AR and VR technology can be successfully employed. Conducting regular inspections and repairing equipment pieces becomes a lot easier when AR solutions are brought into the equation by making information such as guides or instruction manuals easily accessible and speeding up the entire process. What’s more, AR and VR can be extremely useful when remote work is involved and employees can’t conduct certain operations in person.
Instruction manuals
Bulky and boring training manuals might soon become a thing of the past as 3D manuals underpinned by AR technology are being introduced in training programs. The information found in these new-generation manuals can be combined with real-world elements to enhance the training process and make it easier for employees to understand what they need to do.
Wrapping up
AR and VR have the potential to revolutionize many areas of our lives, and workplace health and safety are certainly at the top of the list. At the moment, we’ve only begun scratching the surface of what these innovative solutions can do, but as the technology evolves, we’re bound to see more VR and AR applications in the workplace environment.