Safety training

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Safety training

Powering ahead ❤ Supercharging the workforce

In their day-to-day, Hydro-Quebec workers face dangers on the job; whether it’s the unpredictable nature of our climate, or the risks involved in manipulating high-voltage equipment. In collaboration with our partners at LCI LX, we worked with Hydro-Quebec to develop an immersive simulation Space that reproduces the extreme dangers faced by workers in high-voltage environments.

Using StellarX, we combined Virtual Reality technologies and instructional design expertise to improve the learning process as a whole, and make hands-on training at Hydro-Quebec more accessible and safe.

Real-time intervention

A future that’s bright

To help Hydro-Quebec with their training, we used StellarX to create various life-like Virtual Reality Spaces that replicate environments in which their professionals work every day. We also designed immersive training scenarios for each of the Spaces, allowing trainees to hone their skills safely and in a forgiving way. For example, one of the Spaces requires that trainees measure the voltage of wires using the correct tools and safety equipment to prevent potentially fatal shocks. If the trainee doesn’t follow the correct steps for the virtual induction, a visual cue in the form of sparks, and haptic feedback in the controller, indicate that they have been virtually shocked. This form of hands-on training is far more effective than any theory learned in a classroom setting.

Adaptive & Reactive

To expose workers to the unpredictable climatic phenomenons, we developed a solution that allowed the instructor to intervene in the Space, in real-time. In other words, instructors can affect the trainees in context and analyze their performance under pressure, as well as their ability to adapt to the changing situation. For example, an instructor may change the wind direction or activate rain to see how the trainee reacts in action.

RESULTS & BENEFITS

After 6 months of training, the energy giant witnessed first-hand just how engaging and transformative immersive learning experiences can be. In fact, Hydro-Quebec has noted a significant increase with regard to information retention levels given the hands-on context offered by our solution.
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Furthermore, given the scalability and accessibility of the immersive training experience, Hydro-Quebec trainees now have access to more hands-on training hours and are more prepared to face the real-world dangers in the field.
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In fact, following the implementation of our VR skill-building experience, Hydro-Quebec has noted a significant decrease in injuries as employees were better prepared.

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You can do it while in an office. You are not outside, on a construction site, with all sorts of hazards around you. Everything happens virtually, so you can’t injure yourself. It’s so vivid, so real and immersive, that the behavior we want learners to adopt becomes engraved in their minds. They know what it’s like to be electrocuted, they know how to recognize danger signs. And they remember the experience.
Hélène Mayette, Hydro-Québec

It’s also worth noting that this experience allowed us to take home the 2018 Brandon Hall Group Gold Award for Excellence in Technology for Best Advance in Gaming or Simulation Technology.

BRANDON HALL GROUP ARTICLE