Combining serious games and 4D modelling for construction health and safety training

Health and safety (H&S) is a major concern in the construction industry. Recent and historical data from the construction industry worldwide demonstrate that the human, social, and economic burden, inflicted as a result of H&S fatalities, is still significant. Training is considered one of the main strategies to reduce H&S risks. In recent years, the use of serious games for H&S training in construction has emerged in an attempt to overcome issues associated with traditional training methods. Current research in serious games has mainly focussed on scenario-led training where trainees interact with the same environment through a pre-selected number of options in discrete sections. This approach has limitations in terms of variety and amount of skills that trainees perceive from the game. In this paper, an approach that combines serious games design with 4D (3D + time) modelling is presented and tested in terms of its influence on increasing the capability of labourers to spot hazards at different time periods during the construction process, providing them with increased immersion in the virtual training environment. The results demonstrated that a combination of serious games and 4D approaches can improve users’ engagement and affect their abilities to spot H&S hazards.