James Hardie Jobsite Safety Training

CLIENT
James Hardie

OBJECTIVE
Develop a safety training application focused on James Hardie’s construction jobsites to reinforce crucial safety standards on James Hardie’s construction sites during home cladding, in time for James Hardie’s Zero Harm Safety Month.

APPROACH
SHIIFT creaeted an interactive web-based software focused on construction site training for best practices.

We decided on a gamified 3D simulation, combining elements of e-learning, virtual reality (VR) training, and immersive simulations to improve safety standards and supplement their existing jobsite safety courses with more engaging material.

We are also creating a secondary virtual reality version of the application to further increase engagement among James Hardie’s learners.

The Problem

Despite ongoing efforts in jobsite safety, construction environments continue to experience high rates of preventable accidents. Common jobsite hazards, such as trip hazards from extension cords, silica dust exposure, and improper manual handling, pose serious risks to worker health and safety.

Standard training methods, often relying on traditional classroom-based learning or outdated elearning modules, fail to engage workers effectively. These safety training courses lack the immerse experience that allows workers to understand risks in a real-world context, reducing their impact and retention of safety knowledge. Moreover, many training programs do not offer tailored assessments, leaving supervisors unsure of which workers require additional guidance or remediation in specific safety protocols.

James Hardie identified these shortcomings within their own jobsite training efforts. Their safety standards, while robust, were not fully reflected in day to day operations, resulting in gaps that could lead to potential accidents. Because of this, the company needed a construction jobsite training solution that was not only engaging and interactive but could also assess workers’ understanding of risks in real-time and adapt to highlight areas requiring improvement.

THE SOLUTION – Interactive construction safety training within a virtual worksite

SHIIFT leveraged its expertise in EdTech and e-learning to create a web-based construction safety training application that immerses users in a detailed, 3D construction simulation of a typical James Hardie site. The training solution uses gamified elements, enabling workers to explore the site, identify safety hazards, and answer multiple-choice questions within the virtual construction simulation.

The training incorporates voiceovers, realistic animations, and directional sound effects to create an engaging, real-world learning experience so that users can really feel like they are exploring a real construction site.

The program features 10 unique safety risks, each represented by looping animations of incorrect and correct safety practices. James Hardie employees are tasked with locating each of these risks and interacting with them to trigger quizzes, assessing their knowledge and understanding of best practices according to the company’s safety guidelines.

We integrated the application with James Hardie’s LMS, meaning the company can monitor individual performance of each employee and identify knowledge gaps in order to deliver targeted retraining where necessary.

The training is being launched in two phases. Phase one focuses on the exterior jobsite risks, while phase two will introduce an interior scene with additional risks and animations. A virtual reality version of the training will also be developed for deployment in James Hardie’s dedicated training centers, enhancing the learning experience’s immersiveness even more than the mouse-controlled web app.

Interesting and Unique Features 

• 3D Simulation of Jobsite: The training platform features a 3D simulation of a James Hardie construction site, providing workers with an authentic training environment that mirrors real-world conditions. 
• 10 Animated Risks: The application includes 10 different safety risks, each with detailed, looping animations representing both correct and incorrect safety practices, ensuring workers can identify and understand potential hazards. 
• LMS Integration: The software integrates seamlessly with James Hardie’s existing LMS, allowing for easy tracking and assessment of each worker’s performance. This ensures that safety training is both accessible and personalized to individual needs.
• Multiple-Choice Question Assessments: The training includes assessments after each hazard interaction, with results logged for future training needs. Each of the 10 safety risks give the user a summary of the risk and a question on best practice according to James Hardie’s specific safety guidelines. Results are flagged into the LMS to give James Hardie a deep understanding of each learner’s individual needs.
• Multi-Platform: A VR version of the application allows users to have a deeper level of immersion using James Hardie’s virtual reality headsets.

Want to learn more about Jobsite Safety Training and how you can upgrade your company’s construction safety?

Research has already shown that VR training massively increases the effectiveness of safety training, we believe that you can achieve similar results at a lower cost by going for the same type of gamified training in a desktop or web application, it’s not as immersive as VR training, but achieves similar goals and bridges the gap between traditional training and VR training for amazing value.

Shiift believes using video game technology to create immersive desktop simulations for safety training can effectively increase engagement in all types of training for workplace safety across different industries.

Or get in touch and schedule a demo with us to have a deeper dive into how we can take your training courses to the next step with our revolutionary bespoke training application development, whether you need immersive desktop simulations, virtual reality training, engaging videos, or anything else!