In Brief
•Some organizations have shifted safety training to online delivery. However, since most adults learn better with hands-on experience, online training can be less effective.
•This study focused on the development of a 3-D virtual safety training program that simulates a live hands-on environment.
•Tests of the program showed that participants gained as much information as in a live environment.
Organizations use online training to address various hazards that produce occupational injuries and illnesses. However, online training is challenged to reproduce the hands-on element that is critical to adult learning. Since most adults learn better when they manipulate objects in a real environment, a virtual environment can help replicate the physical training environment while maintaining effectiveness.
This pilot study focused on the use of 3-D virtual safety exercises to enhance online training. In these simulations, workers interacted within a virtual environment that simulates a live, hands-on environment, but without risk. Results indicate that participants in a virtual environment retained as much information as peers trained in the mechanical lab environment. These results support the feasibility of using a virtual environment to enhance online safety training.
