Applications of immersive technologies for occupational safety and health training and education: A systematic review

Immersive technologies (ImTs) have emerged as a viable pathway to address poor occupational safety and health (OSH) performance through training and education of workers. This study aimed to gain a holistic view of the applications of ImTs for OSH training and education. A review of the application of ImTs for OSH training and education is conducted using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) approach and bibliometric analysis. This resulted in the evaluation of 67 relevant journal articles collected from Scopus, Web of Science, and Engineering Village. The review revealed that ImTs have been applied for OSH training and education in various industries including transportation, construction, mining, and healthcare. It was also revealed that the OSH hazards addressed by ImT-based training and education include but are not limited to fire, fall, electrical and chemical hazards in order to prevent or reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities. In addition, it was revealed that one of the benefits of ImTs for OSH training and education is better retention of concepts when compared to conventional training and education. Challenges associated with the use of ImTs for OSH training and education include insufficient display brightness for users to effectively see virtual objects in a brightly luminated environment. Among the recommendations for future work is research into how to develop effective communication methods between trainers and trainees immersed in a virtual environment for trainers to fully understand the difficulties trainees experience in operating the developed ImT-based platform and provide solutions to such difficulties.