Alcoa introduces VR training for its alumina refinery workers

According to a recent report, Alcoa Corporation is conducting VR training for its employees to train them for high-risk tasks at its alumina refineries in Western Australia.

The guided training module replicates an environment of Alcoa’s refinery sub-station where the trainees are surrounded by equipment, sound, and personal protective equipment (PPE) that are found in real in the workplace. The module demonstrates how to safely and correctly isolate electrical switches to avoid arc flash incidents.

Besides, Alcoa has incorporated free-play environments which include events and risks to mitigate, replicating what could occur in real life.

According to Alcoa’s Pinjarra refinery manager Mark Hodgson, this step is taken for bringing in a change in the way training is usually delivered at refineries and also to make trainees aware of more safety measures.

“With safety being our top priority, this training allows our employees to experience high-risk hazards and the steps to mitigate them in a safety environment, so they can take what they have learned back to their workplace,” Hodgson said.

The team is working on deploying similar training modules for several high-risk tasks, including working on or near energised equipment and high-voltage isolation.

The company believes VR training can provide a learning retention rate of 75 per cent, compared to 20 per cent with standard computer-based point-and-click training.