It’s no secret that fire safety is a serious concern in many workplaces, particularly those that deal with hazardous chemicals. If you operate a factory or warehouse, you know how fast an unchecked fire can spread and endanger workers and the surrounding community. This makes fire extinguisher training for your employees essential. Thankfully, virtual reality (VR) training may be just what you need to make your fire safety training program more engaging and effective. Read on to find out why VR is the future of fire extinguisher training and how it can help your team respond faster and more effectively in emergency situations.
Benefits of VR for Fire Extinguisher Training
There are many benefits to VR for fire extinguisher training. This technology can provide firefighters with an immersive, virtual experience that allows them to feel what it’s like to be in a burning building without putting themselves in danger. VR can also help firefighters practice their escape routes and make sure they are familiar with the layout of their station before entering a real-life emergency situation. In addition, VR can be used to simulate emergency scenarios and save money by reducing the number of training courses needed. Firefighters can save time by not having to attend multiple training sessions, and they can also learn more about their specific station’s equipment and safe operating practices so that they know exactly what to do in an emergency situation. Finally, VR can be used in conjunction with other training methods, such as tabletop exercises and life-size simulations, to provide a more comprehensive training experience.
The Difficulties with Existing Fire Extinguisher Training
As we mentioned, fire safety training is an important element of any workplace. There are a few ways to do this, and one is using fire extinguishers. You probably know the basic instructions for using a fire extinguisher, however, if you’ve ever taken a fire extinguisher training course, you may have found it difficult to retain information. This is a common issue with many training programs, and it’s because they lack engaging and interactive features, all things that Virtual Reality introduces.
How to Incorporate VR Into Your Fire Extinguisher Training Program
VR training programs vary depending on what application you’re using, but the general process is the same. Headsets will be deployed in your organisation and managed by a central IT team, of course depending on the size of your organisation. If you run a small business, don’t worry, headsets are easy to manage and no more complex than a normal computer.
The VR headset can take users through the whole fire extinguisher training programme, guiding a user through a classroom scenario all to way to an exam. Along the way the user will learn the basics of fire safety training and how to operate the different types of fire extinguisher, including when to use them. You can take a look at the Fire Extinguisher VR App we have made here at Imersifi to see an example.
They’ll be able to move around the scene and interact with it as if they were really there. This makes for a more engaging and immersive experience. It’s also more effective, because learners can interact with virtual objects as if they were real.
Conclusion
VR training is an exciting and effective way to get your employees prepared for real-life fire emergencies. VR programs are more engaging and immersive than traditional training methods like reading manuals and watching videos. VR can also be used to simulate real-life situations, allowing employees to make mistakes without consequences. You’ll need to invest in the headsets as well as leading agency, like Imersifi, to create engaging scenarios. Entry level enterprise VR headsets typically range from £250 – £500 per unit. That said, VR is the future of fire extinguisher training, and it can help your team respond faster and more effectively.
