Why use virtual reality simulation?

Due to their nature, many industrial sites are difficult to access for safety and logistics reasons and prevent safe and consistent onsite training or routine site access by inexperienced personnel or decision makers and stakeholders. Virtual reality simulations can be used to express ideas and concepts, engage stakeholders and train and prepare workers for site operations. Assessment and demonstration of the application of safe work procedures and evaluation of emergency response plans can be achieved away from production pressures and site risks. Operators can gain "site" experience prior to arrival at the real site. Preparing people in this manner can improve their confidence and make them better prepared for the work place. When people are more confident and more risk aware, then incidents and injuries should reduce.

Advanced virtual reality simulation also allows complex data and procedures to be converted into an intuitive and graphical format that can easily be comprehended and understood by experts and non-experts alike. The method can be used to develop safe work procedures, safety management plans and risk assessments that are best practice and achieved through collaboration between different teams within an organisation. The robustness of safe work procedures and risk management processes can also be evaluated in a safe and forgiving environment, thus reducing risk in real terms. If required, the actions of the trainees may be logged and scenarios may include video clips, photographs and real mine site rules and procedures.

The technology used to display scenarios can be a personal computer, web-based modules, or large screen immersive environment simulations. Virtual reality simulation can also be used for Mine Information Modelling and analysis of diverse data sets.

Benefits

Mine site virtual reality offers many benefits to an organisation, which may include:

• Flexibility in time, place, rate and privacy of learning
• Developing understanding and retention of learning
• Staff induction
• Customised "on the job" training in a safe environment
• Refresher training
• Fault-finding
• Equipment assembly and maintenance training
• Visualisation of the hidden
• Visualisation of the future
• The literacy level of the trainee
• Evaluation of consequences of an action
• Communicating complex data
• Identification of risk takers
• Tracking of learning progression and understanding
• Competency assessment
• Consistency of training and assessment
• Accident investigation and reconstruction

Realising the Benefits

For virtual reality to be effective, their development must be based on a Training Needs Analysis or Industry Needs Analysis, rather than just on the blind or spot application of technology. It is easy to succumb to the promises of new technologies and the possible benefits they may bring, but first the real needs of the organisation must be identified. Visualisation and simulator technologies can only provide limited improvements in operations unless their integration is planned strategically.

The research has established that in order to achieve the potential benefits of simulation for operator and maintenance training in the coal or metalliferous mining industry, or mine site familiarisation, the virtual reality simulators need to have the following characteristics:

• Consideration of cognitive load on the user
• Human factors design with respect to the human computer interface.
• Must be interactive
• Must be immersive, ideally providing a sense of presence because the aim is to provide an onsite experience
• Realistic with respect to the actual environment, not just cartoons
• Built on best practice Safety Management Plans and Safe Work Procedures
• Allow trainees to make decisions and to experience the consequences of these decisions
• Embedded hazard spotting and risk management processes
• Identification of attitudes and reactions to risk taking
• Simple and quick to keep up-to-date (not tied to a proprietary system or systems)
• Affordability relative to the small size of the market

Nevertheless, it must be appreciated that the difference between people knowing how a task should be done versus how they actually undertake the task will remain. The attitudes and aptitudes of a person will still determine how they apply the knowledge and skill imparted by simulated training.

The IMPS will still apply:

• IMPetuous: act without thinking of consequences
• IMPatience: knows better but cannot wait
• IMPunity: cannot happen to me
• IMProvise: contravene SWP

Research has identified that there is potential for simulators to assist in identifying persons prone to these IMPS if they have the potential to impact on operations.

Research has also shown that simulator technologies may be the last part of the business improvement solution.