Recently, our Operational Excellent team organised a visit from Arco, a leading Health & Safety equipment supplies and training company, to Dove Holes quarry and Brighton Wharf. The purpose was to showcase their cutting-edge Virtual Reality (VR) safety training. This innovative approach to safety training has the potential to revolutionise how we prepare our employees for complex and hazardous activities.

During the demonstrations employees from Aggregates, Readymix, Building Products, Dry Silo Mortars, and our Head Office had the opportunity to experience various scenarios through VR headsets. These scenarios included abseiling down an aquarium, working on top of the Blackpool Tower, and navigating a   confined space tunnel. The immersive experience provided a unique and engaging way to learn about safety protocols and procedures.

The Health & Safety Technologies Group are always on the lookout for innovative solutions and new technologies to help Cemex continuously improve our Health & Safety performance. The group at Dove Holes was particularly engaged, and the VR training sparked numerous ideas and lively discussions.

Following the sessions the team, including Lee Wearing from the Health & Safety team, believes that VR training could be the future of safety training for both new entrants and seasoned employees. By simulating environments that closely resemble our local sites, we can provide more effective training for activities such as working at height and confined space activities.

While the technology is not yet perfect, the experience was highly promising and definitely one to watch for the future!