Immersion at Buckman Laboratories

David Prevot has been working for the American company Buckman Laboratories for nearly 30 years as the Field Safety Coordinator for Europe. He is responsible for all HSE aspects concerning technical staff, sales engineers, and specialists who work in the field at client sites across Europe and the Middle East — around 80 people. He agreed to answer our questions.

The Buckman Laboratories plant, located in Ghent, Belgium, manufactures specialty chemicals used to treat industries and processes that involve industrial water, such as pulp mills, paper mills, sugar factories, the chemical industry, and starch factories. These are also additives used in finished products like fungicides in water-based paints, algaecides for swimming pools, etc. They then distribute them to their clients in Europe and the Middle East.

How did you discover Immersive Factory?

“I discovered virtual reality several years ago and had my first experience during a safety day at one of our clients’ sites. I tried to introduce this solution into our company, but it was still quite expensive, and the training catalog was rather limited.

As we’re moving more and more towards digitalization, we revisited this option last year to test VR during our safety training sessions. So, I looked into what was available on the market at a reasonable cost, with a training catalog that met our needs — and if possible, in several languages. Even though English is our internal language, it's always more comfortable to follow training in your native tongue.”

Why did you choose the SafetyBox VR©?

“We chose the SafetyBox VR© because we were able to test it using our IT department’s support with a personal VR headset, purchasing a license for 10 sessions through Immersive Factory. Since our use case involved traveling to different sales groups or countries, we needed a ready-to-use tool that could operate even without a Wi-Fi or mobile network and could also be projected on a screen. The SafetyBox VR© offered by Immersive Factory, with a 1-year license and unlimited training, met our requirements.”

How do you use it? How frequently?

“We did some demos to show the value of virtual reality, then targeted specific training sessions aligned with our professional risks and incorporated them as practical exercises during in-person sessions.

Unfortunately, due to a reorganization last year, we couldn’t use it as planned, so the frequency has been low over the past six months. We used it quite a bit at the beginning to get familiar with the tool and to convince skeptics, but not enough for educational purposes because our training calendar was disrupted this year.”

What needs does virtual reality address for you?

“For me, the main advantage is placing employees in an environment where they can try out different options, see the consequences (like falling from a lift or scaffolding, which is quite impressive) without being in real danger.”

At this point, what added value and areas for improvement do you associate with VR in the HSE field?

“Compared to in-person training, the difference is that with virtual reality, you live the experience — so the training has a much stronger impact and sticks in your memory. When a real-life situation arises, you immediately think back to the VR experience and focus on applying the correct practices and actions.

Additionally, it allows trainees to be active participants rather than passive listeners. The fun aspect also helps capture the attention of the younger generation more easily. It can also be used by administrative staff, particularly with hazard hunts to detect dangers using different time settings or numbers of hazards to find.”

Have you noticed a before/after difference with virtual reality?

“I don’t have enough long-term data, but clearly the emotional connection and immersive experience provide an added impact compared to traditional training.”

“Yes, in my opinion, with a solid training plan, the low annual cost, the excellent support, and the responsiveness of Immersive Factory, the SafetyBox VR© is a very good tool for launching safety training in virtual reality.”

Written by Aurélie Tavernier

Marketing and Communications Manager at Immersive Factory.

She became interested in raising awareness of health and safety at work, convinced that an approach tailored to employees can transform the safety culture and reinforce shared vigilance. Her ambition: to encourage all companies, whatever their size, to invest actively in health and safety prevention for the well-being of their employees.