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When a job involves the use of tools or large equipment, the risk of accidents increases. That's why employers need to implement appropriate measures to ensure employee safety. Virtual reality is a tool that can better control risks when used for team training.

 

HSE Preventer and workplace accidents in industry

The number of occupational accidents tends to stabilize, thanks to the implementation of better prevention measures, especially in industrial sectors.

 

What is a work accident?

A work accident is a physical or psychological injury suffered by a person at their workplace. It is a sudden event, a characteristic that distinguishes it from occupational disease.

 

Types of work accidents

A work accident is an incident that occurs when a person is under the authority of their employer. The date of its occurrence must be clearly defined. Here are the most common workplace accidents:

  • Burns and cuts
  • Heart ailments
  • Muscle pains related to carrying too heavy a load
  • Fractures due to shock or fall
  • Emotional shock related to internal aggression.

You can learn more by following a remote HSE training.

 

Current figures

In 2020, the number of occupational accidents in France was 540,000, according to the General Secretariat for Occupational Health. 550 of them were fatal. The new work health plan for 2021-2025 aims to focus mainly on vulnerable workers, especially young people who are the main victims of occupational accidents.

 

Trends in different sectors

To date, the construction sector remains the most affected by occupational accidents. However, a certain decline in figures was noted over 18 years, between 2001 and 2019 (30% for men).

In service activities, such as cleaning, temporary work, social action, and health, women are the primary victims of accidents. Over the same period, the figures increased by 110%.

 

Economic impacts on companies

Since work accidents typically result in an inability to work, they have significant economic impacts on companies. In 2016, they accounted for 41.3 million lost workdays. There is a significant loss of profit if measures are not put in place to ensure workplace safety.

 

Regulations

Employee training, workstation instructions, and training are part of the general prevention principles.

 

Company obligations regarding employee training

Newcomers and interns must undergo professional training to perform their work under the best conditions and to preserve their safety. This is notably the case for the HSE preventer, who is designated to implement protective measures.

 

General safety training obligations

It should match the company's size, the nature and risks associated with the activity, and the positions held by employees. Thus, training concerns:

  • Workers changing techniques and positions
  • New workers
  • Workers returning to work after a stoppage of more than 21 days
  • Workers on fixed-term contracts
  • Company external employees.

To implement actions, the employer must collaborate with a company doctor and an HSE preventer. During training, employees will deepen their knowledge about:

  • Prevention measures to be respected within the establishment
  • Precautions to guarantee workplace safety for both employees and all those occupying the premises
  • Procedures in case of accidents
  • Safety display.

 

Different contexts in which employees must be trained

Every person working within a company must receive safety training, especially if the sector requires it. Examples include transport, construction, and industry. Thus, every new apprentice or intern, every employee on a temporary contract, and every employee transferred to another position, must necessarily be trained.

 

What is the purpose of this training?

Safety training helps anticipate workplace risks. It prevents the loss of qualified personnel and therefore production downturns. When a team masters dangerous situations, they can easily avoid them. Safety training thus ensures the smooth running of a company and minimizes occupational accidents.

 

Advantages of safety training

Safety training offers numerous benefits to the company:

  • It meets the legal obligation of safety towards employees
  • It increases productivity
  • It preserves facilities
  • It improves the image to customers
  • It reduces the costs of occupational accidents
  • It retains employees and attracts new ones
  • It improves group cohesion
  • It reduces absenteeism
  • It empowers and motivates employees.

 

Mandatory display

A mandatory display must be prominently placed in a company's premises. It is preferable to stick it in the reception room, at the entrance, or in a break room. No specific recommendation must be followed regarding its location, but ideally, it should be placed in a busy area.

Here is all the information that the display must contain:

  • Working hours
  • Contact details of the labor inspector
  • Contact details of the company doctor
  • Collective rest days and hours
  • Emergency rescue service contact details
  • Unique risk assessment document.

 

Missions of the HSE preventer

Definition of HSE

HSE or Health Safety Environment is a company management methodology and risk control in these three areas.

A legal obligation

According to Article 4644-1 and R4644-1 of the Labor Code, which states Decree 2012-135 of January 30, 2012, the employer must appoint a prevention officer or HSE preventer who plays a key role in preventing occupational risks.

 

Role of the HSE preventer

The primary role of the HSE preventer is to improve employees' quality of life at work and prevent occupational accident risks. Therefore, they fulfill a transversal manager role. Indeed, they are the person of trust to prevent occupational risks and ensure that everyone respects safety rules.

To successfully carry out his tasks, the prevention officer must be able to express himself, observe, listen, and convey messages. The goal is to involve all company stakeholders so that they understand the safety issues and take charge of their protection.

The entire hierarchical chain must be made aware of risk prevention at work. The prevention officer can work in the fields of construction, chemistry, and industry. He must conduct safety training to ensure that every employee understands the risks and the means put in place to limit them.

It should be noted that there is no specific training to become an HSE preventer. The best solution is to train employees designated internally or recruited specifically for this position. In this case, the training is very fast, lasting 3 to 5 days.

 

Virtual Reality Training

Virtual reality is a new technology that simulates an environment using a set of digital tools. As for safety training in virtual reality, it is a digital simulation intended for training. It is done using a VR headset and is ideal for training an HSE preventer. Through a real-life situation, they will benefit from comprehensive, engaging, and customized training.

VR training has several advantages:

  • It reduces training time.
  • It improves the quality of learning and increases its efficiency.
  • It allows the deployment of the training module to many employees to replace or join the HSE preventer.

 

New Tools for HSE Preventers

VR headsets are new tools for HSE preventers. They allow them to offer innovative training means for safety orientations and other employee training. Moreover, virtual reality allows for training employees in the context of continuous improvement in terms of hygiene, good practices, and quality.

Thanks to the risks identified during their mission, they will be able to develop VR training modules and thus enable the creation of tailored training for all the concerned employees. Moreover, VR allows these employees to save time and perform their work more effectively. It's a tool that allows the company to invest better in its CSR approaches.

 

Immersive Factory, your VR safety training partner

Immersive Factory offers VR safety training to improve safety in your establishment. Here are the available services:

Personalized support

Immersive Factory will guide you in implementing virtual reality training or a virtual campus.

Advice tailored to your needs

We advise you on the best choices of exercises and the subscription that meets your expectations.

Employee Training

Your employees will learn how to use VR headsets and how to handle 3D environments.

Unique Expertise

You will be accompanied by technical advisors, researchers, and pedagogical engineers to create interesting training programs.

Custom Creations with our Experts

While respecting regulatory monitoring, we create content with our contributors.

Pedagogical Expertise

Thanks to pedagogy and digital learning, we can help you create a training path that meets your needs. For this, we rely on the use of playful tools.

Why choose Immersive Factory?

Here are the main advantages of choosing Immersive Factory:

  • More effective learning
  • Better memorization
  • Reduced training time
  • Exposure to risky situations
  • Decision-making training
  • Innovative HSE exercises (serious games, quizzes, risk hunting, and identification)
  • Endless learning paths.

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