Computer Games to Save Lives at Work
Commercial computer games are a big hit with children as well as adults. However, a group of computer scientists from Durham University has added a new dimension to their utility. According to a study by the team, computer games can be used successfully to train workers and general public on workplace safety.
Games like Doom 3 and Half Life 2 have an inbuilt code that can be applied to create a virtual imitation of the real world where workers can perform drills to handle emergency situations and practice fire evacuation techniques. Real buildings like offices and factories can be represented in their virtual forms to allow the users to prepare for real life fire emergencies. Flaws in the layout of the buildings can also be discovered through this technique.
The findings were published in the Fire Safety Journal, and have drawn much attention because of their implications in the practical workplace scenario, as they present a cost effective and time saving tool for safety training. Compared to the limited programming capacity of available toolkits that require additional development and code-writing effort to make them effective, these games already have a functional code and only the simulations have to be put in place to create the effect of fire, smoke etc. Building such models also proves significantly more efficient than developing the code from scratch.
The authors emphasised on the efficacy of this medium, citing the example of a single programmer, who was able to create a 3D model of a real building along with three emergency fire evacuation simulations in just a three week period. Therefore, the researchers insist, the importance of computer games as instruments of education regarding safe practices and emergency procedures cannot be ignored, and it is just a matter of time before people start using this technique for training purposes. Companies need to be sure that they are giving the correct instructions to employees with regard to health and safety issues. Companies should make themselves fully aware of the most up-to-date requirements by visiting Workplace Law and looking at their highly regarded iosh managing safely course.