The COVID-19 pandemic forced many changes on industry and its employees. The energy sector responded quickly to the new reality by implementing measures, guidelines and technologies that permanently changed the way people, jobsites and industry as a whole operate.
One of the newest training technologies ExxonMobil has employed since the start of the pandemic has been the incorporation of virtual reality (VR) into its procedures for both new and existing employees. The global oil and gas company recognized that VR technology offers an immersive learning environment that workers in the field could not safely experience otherwise.
In 2020, through its partnership with Louisiana Economic Development's Fast- Start® program, ExxonMobil implemented VR training for its Baton Rouge Polypropylene Growth Project. To do this, ExxonMobil collaborated with eight local IT firms to create VR training modules that immersed operators in computer-generated environments to perform critical tasks like hazard identification and emergency response. This resulted in a fundamental change to ExxonMobil's training approach, and the company boasts a continually rising number of process operators who have developed and enhanced their skills thanks to this new innovation.
VR offers an authentic sensory experience by transporting users into an immersive computer-generated environment that mirrors the real-world worksite. When a worker enters the non-physical, digital world within a VR training module, the worker feels physically present in the actual space despite remaining in the controlled safety of the training module. Because the training is entirely virtual, the company also realizes the benefit of not having to shut down critical operations that delay the workflow, which is extremely valuable to the bottom line. However, the greatest benefit is undoubtedly the impact VR training has on the individual worker. The sensory experience gained from VR allows the worker to master complex tasks and safely resolve hazardous situations.
The worker's appreciation of processes and potential hazards gained through VR training cannot be understated. Not only does it increase safety through firsthand understanding of the real-world processes and dangers, but it is also a more impactful educational approach for individuals. Compared to traditional learning methods, ExxonMobil has found that when people are engaged in an immersive virtual learning experience, they take in a higher rate of information and demonstrate a significant increase in the retention of that information.
VR technology offers an immersive learning environment that workers in the field could not safely experience otherwise.
Kristin Thomas-Martin, plastics plant manager for ExxonMobil, added that an unexpected benefit of the "first-of-its-kind" VR training modules has also been discovered among its users. In addition to the increased safety performance and higher degree of educational retention, VR training has also been found to have "sparked excitement and engagement" in personnel.
An example of that enthusiasm was offered by Jonathan Jones, process operator for ExxonMobil's Polypropylene Growth Project, who has participated in the company's VR training modules. "You put on the headset and are totally immersed in the unit. It gives you a chance to touch and do the things you haven't had the opportunity to do," Jones said. "Virtual reality training is awesome."
Although VR training has already proven successful since its implementation, ExxonMobil is not done pushing itself technologically forward. Advancements such as positional tracking, room scale and initiatives to reduce motion sickness in VR technologies have led ExxonMobil to explore future uses that have not yet been realized on the jobsite. The Immersive Realities Center at ExxonMobil's Houston campus is using VR, augmented reality and other technologies to connect workers remotely, provide access to data and promote more immersive learning that can radically change the way the company trains its employees and performs processes.
