Lloyd’s Register launches new virtual reality safety simulator and gaming technology
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has launched its Virtual Reality (VR) Safety Simulator to help support training and knowledge transfer in the energy industry. The simulator utilizes high-powered computing to simulate real-life situations with a high degree of interactivity for the user. “We developed this high-tech VR Safety Simulation to help educate oil and gas workers in dealing with complex equipment and environments, in harsh climatic conditions and with serious emergency risks,” said Luis De La Fuente, Global Academy Training Manager at LR in Houston. “Scenarios are created from real-life experiences and incidents.”
The VR tool provides interactive simulations that enable new employees to explore scenarios in different sites and experience standard operating procedures in advance. “Entire plant crews must communicate and cooperate in order to execute a flawless start-up or a precise shutdown,” Mr De La Fuente said. “Human nature, communication, decisions and reaction times mean that trainees very rarely get it right the first time, or even the second time, but the consequences of a team’s or individual’s correct and incorrect decisions are sent immediately back to the trainees on our VR Safety Simulation program, which gives them the opportunity to directly learn from their mistakes.”
US spending on corporate training grew by 15% last year and was reported by BP Training Associates to be the highest growth rate in seven years, to more than $70 billion in the US and more than $130 billion worldwide. “We are on the cusp of an upward trend in technology tools used to train people,” Teril Smith, Director of Operations at LR, said. “Video, online communications and virtual learning are growing rapidly as training tools. While people still need formal classroom-based training and education, we see significant growth in new virtual learning environments.”
