As is most commonly the case across the construction industry, identifying jobsite safety hazards has been taught using tried and true techniques, such as classroom teachings, manuals and, for the progressive contractors, video tours.

It is against that traditional backdrop that Dysruptek, Haskell’s innovation and venture capital arm, introduces HERO, a groundbreaking Virtual Reality (VR) training platform, to revolutionize safety awareness.

Short for Hazard Elimination Risk Oversight, HERO is an instructional program delivered using Meta Quest Headsets. Trainees don the headsets to view a virtual jobsite environment and are tasked with identifying as many jobsite hazards as possible.

The system has undergone three years of extensive testing, including a research trial at Texas A&M University, to assess its effectiveness. Results have shown that the immersive VR simulation training produced significantly better results than the previously used passive training methods.

More than 90% of participants in the Texas A&M trial rated the testing method and their safety awareness comprehension positively, and testing scores improved dramatically using the VR technology, according to a presentation at the Ninth International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management in June 2022 in Las Vegas.

With the groundwork in place, Dysruptek has partnered with MindForge to market and convey the platform across the industry. Originally a group of game designers and VR experts, the Columbus, Ohio-based company has used their technological savvy to deliver digital training to frontline construction teams. To date, it has reached more than 200 jobsites.

“Our motto has always been, ‘For the betterment of the industry,’” said Hamzah Shanbari, Haskell’s Director of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives. “What we are trying to do here is move forward in a much safer manner amid a more digital age. Instead of doing a spinoff for HERO within our own Haskell community, we thought, ‘Why don’t we partner with somebody who is an expert in this field?’ The solution was partnering with MindForge.”

MindForge is the first platform developed around the experience of workers in the field and prides itself on its ability to deliver information and training to customers’ on-site crews in real time. The information is communicated via three interfaces – a web portal, mobile app and CLS app with on-demand content – all housed at Mindforge.live.

HERO paves the way for training opportunities in jobsite safety and beyond. Trainees view the method in a gaming environment as a more immersive and fun way to learn about safety, and training results can be documented in detail. HERO embodies the construction safety axiom, “See Something, Say Something.”

Grace Herrera, MindForge Director of Product Management, said she saw HERO’s value in her own household. Family members from age 15 to 55 donned headsets and reacted positively to the gamified experience, which usually has challenges at the end.

“We’re preparing the next generation in safety technology advancement,” Herrera said. “Eight years from now, that 15-year-old will be in the job market.”

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