Safety is an important issue in the mining industry, and ladder safety is a significant yet often-overlooked aspect. In the U.S., more than a thousand slip and fall accidents occur at mining locations each year. Prior research indicates that more than a third of slips and falls occur while getting on and off equipment, machines, and vehicles. Root causes of these accidents appear to be inadequate training, the routineness of mounting and dismounting equipment, and an abundance of vertically fixed ladders that require extra caution. More effective solutions for training ladder safety are needed.To address this issue, a virtual reality (VR) system for training safe ladder climbing strategies has been developed. This VR system uses a motion capture system to track and analyze the movements of the trainees hands and feet. A head-mounted display (HMD) provides an immersive view of the virtual mining equipment and a vertically fixed ladder. A three-dimensional interaction technique allows the trainee to virtually climb up and down the ladder. When the trainee does not use the three-point control strategy to safely climb, virtually restricted capabilities prohibit the trainee from improperly completing the training task. Since the training environment is virtual, adverse events can accompany the restricted capabilities, such as falling off the ladder and sustaining artificial injury. This highlights the potential risks stemming from poor physical form and decision-making to the trainee. The new VR training system has the potential to reduce the number of slip and fall accidents in the mining industry.
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