November 2019 Vol. 74 No. 11
Newsline
Virtual Reality Training Prepares Gas Field Personnel for Emergency Leak Calls
A new virtual reality training module for natural gas leak emergency first responders is now available for use by the industry. With funding from Operations Technology Development (OTD), GTI worked with PIXO VR to develop the training as a better way to prepare utility personnel to be more effective and efficient with identifying and responding to hazardous conditions.
The new training module is a cutting-edge virtual reality experience with intense and realistic scenarios, combining multi-user functionality, randomized potential hazards and simulated consequences. For example, it includes an emergency response simulation of a residential neighborhood, which trainees must search through to find and respond to a natural gas leak. Activities incorporated in the module are ones that utility operations and fire department personnel might face: investigating a leak, identifying and eliminating ignition sources, securing the location, evacuation, ventilation, communicating with emergency personnel, and identifying changing conditions.
OTD is a consortium of 26 natural gas distributors in North America that facilitates collaborative research that results in innovative solutions and the improved safety, reliability and operational efficiency of natural gas systems. GTI mirrors OTD’s commitment to safe and reliable infrastructure operations, and has been responsible for establishing training centers and educating gas personnel around the world for the past, seven-plus decades.
The team leverages its subject matter expertise to integrate the latest technologies, techniques and regulatory requirements into training curriculums. Partnering with leading VR training provider PIXO VR, GTI and OTD have created fully immersive and interactive 3D content with engaging story lines that will help trainees retain significantly more of what they learn.
For more information about the training, contact Ray Deatherage, GTI senior program manager for Energy Delivery, rdeatherage@gti.energy or 847.768.0942. For information about training availability, contact PIXO VR at ContactUs@pixovr.com or 248.996.8298.
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