The current study aimed at evaluating the prospects of a three-dimensional gas power plant (GPP) simulation in an immersive virtual reality (IVR) environment for fire emergency preparedness and response (EPR). To achieve this aim, the study assessed the possibility of safety situational awareness, evacuation drills and hazard mitigation exercises during a fire emergency simulation scenario. The study likewise evaluated the safety and ergonomics of the environment while addressing this aim. We employed the virtual reality accident causation model (VR-ACM) for the assessment with 54 participants individually in IVR. Participants were grouped into two according to whether they had work experience in engineering or not. The obtained results suggested that IVR can be realistic and safe, with the potential for presenting hazardous scenarios necessary for fire EPR. Furthermore, the results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in the perceptions of both groups regarding the prospects of IVR towards EPR.

This paper presents a 3-D simulation model for safety training in an interactive and fully immersive virtual environment (IVE). The training comprises application of serious games (SGs) designed for filter replacements on a gas-powered plant (GPP) engine model by participants based on plant maintenance health and safety environment (HSE) regulations. Although maintenance work on GPP constitutes significantly in the share of hazards in the industry, there is however, scanty research related to simulation-based training for safety. Research nonetheless indicates the success of this technology in other industrial fields. For this reason, this study explored the possibility for training in safe work practices during maintenance in a gamified virtual environment. The Unreal real-time 3D game engine software was employed for creating virtual objects in the simulation. In total, 38 participants individually undertook the training in the virtual realm and provided feedback on a 5-point Likert scale. Questions pursuant to the assessment included the efficacy of acquired safety knowledge and skills, proximity of the simulation-based training to reality, and the interests and preference of SGs-IVE towards safety training. Results demonstrates participant's perception of the prospects and learning outcome of SGs-IVE towards safety training: A factor that promotes greater cognitive learning for mindful safety practices.

The present study sheds light on transdisciplinary education through the application of a scoping literature review, as a lack of a comprehensive synthesis in this area is evident. Thus, the overview frames and outlines the scattered research that has been fulfilled until now in this field. As a result, within transdisciplinary education, medical and adolescent themes form the main scopes, while within sustainable transdisciplinary education, pedagogical design, socio-efficiency, and philosophy are the major themes. Furthermore, the present study contributes to the understanding of transdisciplinary education by highlighting the avenues for future research. Consequently, the translation of transdisciplinary teaching practices to comparable languages and an increase of transparency in the application and reporting of the transdisciplinary design steps are suggested.

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of computer simulation and the immersive virtual reality (IVR) technology for occupational risk assessment improvement. It achieves this by conducting a risk assessment on a 3-D simulation of a Lithium-Ion battery (LIB) manufacturing factory. This is necessary since calls for the enhancement of occupational risk assessments continue to dominate safety improvement measures in manufacturing context. Meanwhile, industries such as aviation, mining and healthcare employ advanced versions of IVR for risks awareness with successes. However, applications for safety in manufacturing context is only at the infancy although it utilizes IVR profitably for product and production optimization issues. The study involved 19 participants who performed the assessment with the aid of a safety checklist followed by open-ended semi-structured questions and interviews. Results indicates an outstanding utilization capability of IVR for risk assessment. Furthermore, the assessment pinpoints specific safety issues in the factory that requires attention and improvement.

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