[Report] Experiencing a Fall from the 30th Floor with VR... SKT Safety Experience Center

SK Telecom has launched safety training for field workers using information and communication technologies (ICT) such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Workers can vividly learn the importance of safety by experiencing common accidents on site through VR.

On the 25th, we visited the SKT Safety Experience Training Center, 'SKT Family Safe T Center,' located in the SKT Busasa building in Daejeon.

Safety Harness Experience
Photo by SKT

The training center, which opened on the 19th, features experiences specialized for SKT and its partners' work sites. Ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, preparations for the safety and health system began, and construction started in April this year. The facility meets the safety and health education regulations of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

Hanwoo Lee, head of SKT Infrastructure Safety Protection Team, said, "SKT, as a wired and wireless communication operator, has various work environments. From above ground to underground and underwater submarine cables, various workers perform about one million tasks annually." He added, "We have set up the training center with communication-specialized experience devices to ensure safe work in diverse field environments."

In particular, the vivid experiences incorporating technologies such as VR and AR maximize the educational effect. Wearing VR devices, participants experienced accident scenarios during high-altitude work through 360-degree videos. Due to rushing, the vehicle control rules were not properly followed, and a vehicle coming from behind collided with the work vehicle. The scene of a colleague falling unfolded right before their eyes, emphasizing the importance of safety rules. Additionally, like a hidden picture search, trainees identified risk factors such as unstable lifelines and workers not wearing safety harnesses at rooftop and rooftop work sites in the VR video.

In the safety belt fall experience, wearing VR devices, participants can experience an accident of falling due to an unfastened safety hook while working at a height of 30 floors. In reality, the fall is from 1.5 meters while wearing a safety harness, but the sensation is likened to riding the vertical drop amusement ride 'Gyro Drop.'

In the VR Cocoon (COCOON), participants board a 4D experience device and experience three fatal accidents frequently occurring on site through VR videos. These include being hit by falling objects from a high place without wearing a helmet, dying in a traffic accident due to improper vehicle control while rushing, and falling accidents caused by moving materials or not following ladder safety rules. The program raises awareness that minor mistakes can lead to fatal accidents. Through sensors, participants can actually feel heat, electric shock, and falls, making the experience so vivid that some people are startled.

Ladder Tipping Experience
Photo by SKT

In addition, various experiences make it easy to learn the importance of safety. In the first aid experience, participants learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using a mannequin equipped with a Bluetooth device. Compression strength and speed are displayed in real time on a screen, and oxygen supply is also checked, making learning fun like playing a game. Participants learn the correct posture for lifting heavy objects through VR, practice escaping from confined spaces with low oxygen concentration, and experience ladder fall accidents. Actual equipment used on site, such as 5G devices and optical repeaters, are also provided for a more realistic experience.

Including the pilot operation period before the official opening, it has been one month since training began. About 400 people have completed the training so far, and the plan is to train 1,000 employees by the end of the year. The facility can train about 8,000 people annually.

Although it has only been a month since opening, the training is designed to prepare for accidents that actually occur on site, and the trainees’ responses have been positive. An SKT official stated, "We conduct surveys after training, and satisfaction rates reach 98-99%. Many say it is very helpful when applied on site."

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