Risk perception in high risk environments: Using VR technology to promote safer working

Risk perception is about people being aware of hazards and perceiving themselves to be at risk. People are normally concerned with doing a good job rather than consciously considering the occupational health and safety risks around them. Over time, there may be a tendency for workers to become overly confident about hazards they encounter regularly.

Risk perception plays a key role in shaping behaviour. By actively identifying and influencing workers' risk perceptions, organisations can reduce workplace incidents, engage employees in identifying potential issues with risk controls, and improve compliance with safe systems of work. For example, a Human Factors programme of work underway at Irish Rail is focused on engaging with front line rail workers to understand their perceptions of risk. They are using VR headsets to show work sites with common hazards, helping workers experience risky situations without real-life consequences. This insight into workers’ risk perceptions will be used to inform the design of safer workplaces for front line rail workers.

An example of the image created in a pilot study by Irish Rail, which shows a mock-up of a worksite including multiple hazards. Inset photo: a worker using the VR headset to interact with the image.