The use of a virtual environment in managing risks associated with human responses in emergency situations on offshore installations

Abstract

This paper presents the use of a virtual environment for investigating risks associated with human responses in emergency situations on offshore installations. The virtual environment and the risk management can be used to analyze risks associated with human responses by investigating the effectiveness of existing safety measures, identifying areas of improvement, and proposing new designs for safety measures. Problems Dealing with emergency scenarios on offshore installations is a tremendous undertaking. The interaction of personnel using the safety measures in emergency situations can be affected by hazards, environment conditions, malfunctioning equipment, and inadequate emergency preparedness. Such factors have the potential to prevent personnel from arriving at a safe area, increase the level of risks, and consequently, cause injuries or fatalities to personnel. Risks associated with human responses in emergency scenarios are often unforeseen due to difficulties with modeling realistic emergency scenarios. Objective The objective of the research is to study demonstrate the use of virtual environments for investigating and managing risks associated with human responses in emergencies. Method Risk management is employed to assess and manage risks associated with human responses in emergency scenarios. The risk management is tested using experimental data collected from past studies of human responses in virtual environments. Results Risks associated with human responses during emergency scenarios are determined by safety measures, the environment, and the egress route choices that have been taught. Participants’ performance and interaction with improved safety measures are better than the performance of participants without safety measures. Conclusion This paper provides a demonstration of the utility of virtual environments to assess risks associated with human responses in emergency situations. Application The findings of this study may be useful for offshore energy operations.