Enhancing Safety Training with Virtual Reality Applications in High-Risk Environments

Abstract

High-risk work environments expose workers to numerous hazards, while conventional safety training often provides limited opportunities for realistic hazard recognition, engagement, and practical skill development. This dissertation investigates Virtual Reality (VR) as an immersive and scalable approach to improving safety training and auditing in high-risk environments, especially in warehouses, as a case study. Four interconnected theses were conducted to develop an integrated VR safety-training framework. First, a novel mixed-methods approach combining workplace observations, expert interviews, critical thinking analysis, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to identify hazards and training gaps and prioritize essential VR features for safety training and auditing. Second, the 5M root cause analysis framework and 5S lean methodology were integrated into immersive VR to improve hazard recognition, risk mitigation, and safety compliance. Third, an AHP-Quality Function Deployment (QFD) framework was developed to prioritize user requirements and translate them into technical VR characteristics, strengthening user-centered design. Finally, a multicriteria evaluation framework integrating Kirkpatrick's model and learning theories was used to assess VR training outcomes, including motivation, engagement, knowledge acquisition, behavioral intention, and intrapersonal and cognitive skills among university students. Overall, the studies provide a comprehensive framework integrating hazard identification, risk analysis, lean safety principles, user-centered design, and training evaluation. The findings demonstrate that VR can enhance safety training and support scalable, evidence-based solutions for warehouses and other high-risk industries.