Experiencing a Fall Accident in VR... Even a 2m Height Can Be Fatal

Lotte Construction Safety Experience Center 'Safety On'
Direct On-Site Hazard Experience with Advanced Facilities like VR

On the afternoon of the 21st, a participant wearing a VR device is experiencing a construction site at the Safety Experience Center 'Safety On' at Lotte Human Resources Development Institute Osan Campus in Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do.

I took an elevator up to a structure dozens of meters high. As strong winds blew and the scaffolding (a temporary structure installed to allow work at heights) swayed, my body also staggered. At that moment, my phone rang. People around me warned me not to answer because it was dangerous, but I ignored them. I felt my body tilt slightly, and in an instant, the sky and ground flipped. "Ah!" A scream escaped involuntarily. It was a virtual reality (VR) experience simulating a fall at a construction site.

On the 21st, I visited the Safety Experience Center ‘Safety On’ at the Lotte Human Resources Development Institute Osan Campus in Busandong, Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do. This place allows you to experience 13 types of disaster situations that can occur on-site, such as falls, fires, overturns, suffocation, and electric shocks, through VR and advanced facilities. Since the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (Serious Accident Punishment Act) came into effect this year, companies have been making every effort to ensure safety at construction sites, and the Safety Experience Center is an extension of those efforts.

As soon as I entered the center, some Lotte Construction employees were experiencing the ‘Safety Belt Fall’ facility. Falls are the most frequent type of accident at construction sites. According to statistics from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, falls account for the highest proportion of fatal accidents at construction sites, at 38.8%. Cha Deuk-ro, senior manager in charge of the Lotte Construction Safety Experience Center, said, "Falls surprisingly often occur at heights of 2 to 3 meters," adding, "This is because people are complacent, thinking that falling from this height won’t cause serious injury." A fatal accident at a highway construction site this month also occurred when a worker slipped and fell about 3 meters down.

On the afternoon of the 21st, at the Safety Experience Center 'Safety On' in the Lotte Human Resources Development Institute Osan Campus, Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do, participants are experiencing construction site fall accidents using VR devices.

The ‘Opening Fall’ corner at the experience center lets you experience how even a fall from just 2 meters can cause fatal consequences. When you climb onto the prepared facility, the floor suddenly opens and you fall down. Most participants scream involuntarily. The VR experience area is similar. When you wear the VR device on your head, you can enter the heart of a construction site that is usually difficult to access. You can climb ladders and walk precariously on scaffolding. The floor moves in sync with the screen in front of you, enhancing the sense of realism.

The goal of this education and experience is to rearm safety awareness and raise vigilance. Even indirect experiences that are physically felt remain lifelong lessons for workers and safety managers. Oh Jae-gyun, an employee working at Lotte Construction’s Guri site, said, "Since I had never seen an accident up close, I honestly didn’t have much awareness of accidents," adding, "After experiencing an accident firsthand, I feel the need to strictly manage the site and pay attention even to minor details."

The Safety On Safety Experience Center conducts training for 18 people per day, 288 people per month. Including partner companies, the goal is to educate and provide experiences to 40,000 people within three years. A Lotte Construction official said, "By having employees and partner company workers directly experience accident situations, they will recognize the potential hazards that can occur on-site and improve their response capabilities, maximizing the prevention effect of serious accidents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.