Using a Virtual Reality Tool to Provide Primary Prevention Training in the Construction Field Following a Periodic Medical Visit : a Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

Abstract

The construction field is highly concerned by the risk of work-related accidents and the training of employees is difficult due to the small number of employees in the companies.

To study the impact of a virtual reality training tool, following a periodic occupational health medical visit, on the feeling of personal effectiveness in preventing occupational risks related to co-activity on a construction site.

We conducted an experimental study on employees who had a periodic medical visit between April 1st, 2022 and October 13, 2022 in a French occupational health service specialized in the construction field (SMIBTP). The employees were divided into two groups according to the training received: a medical visit (MV) alone or coupled with a session with a virtual reality (VR) tool. We compared the scores for “feeling of self-efficacy in occupational risk prevention” using Fisher's exact test.

Of the 588 employees included, 210 had a medical visit and 378 had the medical visit coupled with VR training. Training with the VR tool was associated with an increased “feeling of self-efficacy in occupational risk prevention”. The employees who benefited from the training reported a willingness to apply the advice given on prevention to a greater extent than those who did not, and they believed that the risk on the worksite could be reduced thanks to this tool

Using virtual reality training as a complement to periodic medical visits in an occupational health service improves the feeling of personal effectiveness in occupational risk prevention at the end of the training. If this trend is confirmed over a longer period of time, it could be an easily accessible prevention lever for employees in the future.