The Use of Virtual Reality Simulated Accidents to Improve Laboratory Safety Through Increased Safety Awareness

由于化学和其他实验室的事故，每年损失数千万美元，更不用说随之而来的痛苦和折磨了。大学实验室比工业实验室更糟糕，因为事故发生率要高得多，而且因为这是未来几代科学家学习不安全的实验室技能的训练场所。尽管已经实施了广泛的安全培训计划，但这些事故仍在继续发生。其中一个因素是，人们的记忆力和对书面规则的尊重有限，随着时间的推移，他们往往要么忘记了他们的安全培训，要么对安全规则感到自满。经验对人类记忆的影响比书面文本大得多，因此，经历过实验室事故的人比没有经历过事故的人更有可能记住这些经历，并因此遵循安全的实验室实践。然而，为了提高安全性而故意制造事故的想法显然不是一个可以接受的解决方案。虚拟现实（VR）是一种计算机界面，旨在提供（理想情况下）与真实事物难以区分的高度逼真的“体验”。虽然这个理想还没有实现（可能永远也不会实现），但许多高端VR模拟非常可信，甚至低端系统产生的体验对用户的影响也比书面文本大得多。该项目正在开发一系列基于vr的实验室事故，为用户提供有关家庭、办公室和计算机实验室安全的宝贵经验。这些模块生动地说明了无视安全规则的后果，使用虚拟现实的高冲击力媒介。万维网框架提供了在线VRML模拟、广泛的支持材料和更严格的可执行程序的快速分发。形成性和总结性评价以及现场测试将确定虚拟事故对实验室安全的最佳有效性，以指导其发展和最终实施。在项目结束时，这些模块将以cd - rom的形式分发给各种学校。

Tens of millions of dollars are lost each year due to accidents in chemical and other laboratories, not to mention the accompanying pain and suffering. University laboratories are worse than industrial laboratories, both because the rate of accidents is much higher and because this is the training ground at which generations of future scientists learn their unsafe laboratory skills.These accidents continue to occur in spite of extensive safety training programs already in place. One contributing factor is that people only have a limited memory and respect for written rules, and over time tend to either forget their safety training or become complacent about safety rules.Experience has a much greater impact on the human memory than written text, and therefore people who have experienced laboratory accidents are more likely to remember those experiences, and follow safe laboratory practices as a result, than those who have not. Obviously, however, the idea of deliberately causing accidents in order to improve safety is not an acceptable solution.Virtual Reality, VR, is a computer interface designed to deliver highly realistic "experiences" that are (ideally) indistinguishable from the real thing. Although this ideal has not yet been achieved, (and probably never will be), many high-end VR simulations are extremely believable, and even low-end systems produce experiences having a much greater impact on the user than written text.This project is developing a series of VR-based laboratory accidents that give users valuable experience in the safety of their homes, offices, and computing laboratories. These modules graphically illustrate the consequences of disregarding safety rules, using the high impact medium of virtual reality. A World Wide Web framework provides for on-line VRML simulations, extensive support materials, and fast distribution of more rigorous executable programs. Formative and summative evaluations and site testing will determine the optimal effectiveness of virtual accidents for laboratory safety, in order to guide their development and eventual implementation. The modules in the form of CD-ROMs will be distributed to a variety of schools at the end of the project.