Benjamin Deroulers is the Quality, Safety, and Environment (QSE) Manager at Briand. Briand is a construction company specializing in the design, manufacturing, and installation of buildings, with its headquarters located in Les Herbiers, Vendée, France.
How did you discover Immersive Factory?
"I discovered Immersive Factory through a colleague who found out about the solution at a trade show and shared the information with me."
Why did you choose the SafetyBox VR©? How do you use it, and how often?
"We chose the SafetyBox VR© because we were looking for a tool that could both captivate our teams' attention and enhance their understanding of risks in the field. Virtual reality offers an immersive environment that allows for simulating risk scenarios without any real danger.
We use the SafetyBox VR© during workshops as part of our safety days across the group’s subsidiaries."
What needs does VR address in your HSE training?
"The use of virtual reality (VR) in our HSE awareness sessions addresses several objectives for Briand:
- Strengthening Hazard Identification:
VR primarily addresses our need to prepare employees to face risky situations effectively and safely. In our field, where handling heavy materials, operating complex machinery, and working at heights are common, it’s crucial that each employee not only understands the dangers but also knows how to recognize them and respond appropriately. - Innovation and Support Evolution:
The adoption of VR in our training also meets our need to innovate in our practices. By integrating advanced technologies like VR, we show our commitment to safety and our drive to diversify awareness tools for our teams.
In summary, virtual reality helps us develop a safety culture by enabling teams to practice hazard detection and shared vigilance. VR brings an appeal to topics that are sometimes seen as repetitive or unengaging by personnel."
What added value and areas for improvement do you associate with VR in HSE?
"First, the full immersion that VR provides allows participants to experience risky situations, such as falls or collisions, with incredible realism. This immersion is far more effective than a simple theoretical presentation or videos, as it fully engages users' senses. By being immersed in a virtual environment, our employees can safely experience accident scenarios or dangerous situations without any actual risk.
VR concretely illustrates prevention messages we share about the importance of detecting and recording hazardous situations, making these messages more impactful after a VR session.
Regarding improvements, feedback has highlighted the need to make scenarios feel even more realistic. For even greater effectiveness, the exercise could take place in conditions even closer to those encountered on-site or include specific safety elements tailored to each entity."
Have you noticed any difference before and after using VR?
"Yes, we observed increased attention during the workshops and, therefore, better understanding of the messages conveyed. The workshop resonates with participants, allowing us to reference the hazardous situations encountered and apply them to employees’ daily routines. Feedback has been positive, with employees feeling more confident in identifying and defining dangerous situations. We’ve also seen an increase in the reporting of hazardous situations, which demonstrates the effectiveness of these immersive tools."
Would you recommend the SafetyBox VR©?
"Absolutely, I recommend the SafetyBox VR© to any company looking to modernize its HSE workshops. It’s a powerful tool that, thanks to its innovation, renewal, and diverse formats, brings new appeal to the target audience. Virtual reality is a real asset in safety training, and we are pleased to have adopted it at Briand."
Would you also like to use virtual reality exercises tailored to your work environment?
It’s possible! Our teams can work with you to develop custom exercises. Contact us to learn more.