Morrison Construction has been recognised for its development of virtual reality site inductions after being named a finalist for the Health and Safety Initiative of the Year at the Water Industry Awards 2018.

Currently being trialled the virtual reality site inductions developed by Morrison Construction in partnership with the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) caught the attention of the award judges among a record number of award entries.

The induction allows users to immerse themselves in a virtual reality environment using googles and hand controllers. Three modules are included in the induction allowing users become familiar with a construction site and learn about common dangers and consequences of mistakes.

Morrison Construction Scottish Water operations director, Stephen Slessor, said: “Health and safety is our number one priority at Morrison Construction. We believe that virtual reality can be a powerful tool to improve safety in the industry to enhance existing induction processes.

“Using this technology users can make mistakes and learn the consequences in a virtual reality setting.

“The development of this cutting-edge learning content system is a good example of the positive impact university-industry collaborations can have to address challenges in construction.”

Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, senior lecturer in construction engineering at UWS, said: “VR application in the construction industry provides an effective means for health and safety training. It helps to raise awareness of on-site hazards and ensure compliance with HSE guidelines, thereby reducing the likelihood of on-site incidents.

“This project is an exemplar of university-industry collaboration for the application of VR. We can only make a difference and change industry’s practice through truly collaborative endeavours such as this.”

The award recognises commitment to health and safety while demonstrating ‘innovative, robust and high-quality safety management system and evidence of health and safety performance that goes beyond statutory requirements’.

Morrison Construction will compete for the award against five other finalists from across the UK with the winner to be revealed during a ceremony at The Vox, Birmingham on May 21.