Pre-implementation evaluation of VR as a mine safety training tool

High-fidelity, immersive training is known for its learning and logistical benefits. While other industries have been using virtual reality (VR) for decades, the same uptake has not been seen in mining. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently developed an adaptable, scalable VR training platform, VR Mine Rescue Training (VR-MRT), which has attracted significant industry interest. NIOSH is using VR-MRT to understand the barriers to adoption and implementation of VR. As part of a larger evaluation effort, researchers have conducted pre-implementation surveys and interviews with individuals at various implementation levels. The results suggest that VR is a practical training tool to enhance realism, increase repetitions, and permit safe exposure to hazardous scenarios while capturing objective performance metrics — addressing well-known training deficits. However, successful translation into practice requires explicit change-management strategies (such as leadership buy-in, identified champions), allocation of IT/trainer resources, documented operating procedures and regionally scalable deployment models (such as shared facilities, pilots). Participants also affirmed their interest in VR-MRT and that it is an acceptable and appropriate supplement to current mine rescue training and beyond. Background High-fidelity immersive training modalities such as VR embody the core principles of effective training — it is engaging, understandable, authentic, provides opportunities for practice and includes debrief and assessment. Mine rescue in particular is an area where VR could be very impactful. Traditional approaches such as low-fidelity above-ground contests, full-scale drills and classroom-only refreshers often lack realism and immersion or are so resource-intensive that they cannot be repeated frequently enough to meet the training need. More generally, despite demonstrated benefits of VR in other high-risk domains, mining has been slow to adopt VR training at scale, constrained by content limitations, cost, portability, IT capacity and program-integration challenges. The gap is not purely technical, successful uptake of innovations in safety-critical systems depends on organizational readiness, regulatory fit, resource allocation and sustained implementation strategies. Implementation science (IS) provides a structured approach to clarify these complexities. Frameworks such as the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) 2.0 can be used to guide assessment at various levels including the innovation attributes, outer setting, inner setting, individuals and implementation processes. This enables preemptive design decisions and actionable mitigation strategies. Guided by this goal, NIOSH developed VR-MRT both as an immersive training platform to support the industry and as a vehicle to study VR adoption. VR-MRT is an immersive scenario-based platform designed to improve mine rescue team members’ procedural, collaborative and problem-solving skills with a focus on decision-making as a supplement to current mine rescue training. Trainers can rapidly create or import mine geometry, place hazards and objects, and configure dynamic ventilation that runs on NIOSH’s MFIRE, a node network ventilation simulator. Trainees experience scenarios via commercially available VR headsets in single-player or multiplayer modes; trainers can facilitate sessions using the director’s module and observers can view via the spectator module. A debrief module replays logged sessions in synchronized 2D and 3D views, showing movements, interactions and progressing environmental conditions for after-action review. The system emphasizes portability, scenario variability and automated logging to enable objective assessment while minimizing specialized hardware requirements. The objective of this study was to complete a pre-implementation evaluation using the CFIR 2.0 framework (see the full paper for a complete listing of the domains and planning questions). First, researchers aim to assess the acceptability and appropriateness of VR-MRT for mine rescue training. Secondly, researchers aim to identify actionable barriers and facilitators to the adoption and implementation of VR mine safety training in general. Methods This mixed-methods study combined quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews and observations of pilot deployments. The formal data collection was completed in two phases with mine rescue teams and with an organization partner. After VR-MRT demonstrations, 124 mine rescue team members completed acceptability and implementation-preference surveys and seven trainers were interviewed. Similarly, after a technical demonstration of VR-MRT, 13 participants at an organization interested in adopting VR-MRT across all organizational levels were interviewed (trainers/deliverers, mid- and high-level leaders, and implementation facilitators). Quantitative data was analyzed for statistical significance. Qualitative data was coded using a deductive application of the CFIR 2.0 constructs and inductive identification of themes to identify domain-specific barriers and facilitators. In parallel, NIOSH executed antecedent implementation activities — a multiteam VR mine rescue contest, a university curriculum pilot and site-specific safety training — to evaluate trialability and refine features. Results and discussion Acceptability and appropriateness. (1) 100 percent of responding mine rescue team members reported enjoying the VR-MRT demonstration, indicating high acceptability. (2) 76.6 percent of participants expressed explicit interest in VR training in general; only 9.9 percent were not interested in VR at all. (3) Stakeholders significantly preferred VR in addition to existing training rather than a replacement. These data support VR-MRT’s perceived fit and relevance as a supplement. Implementation barriers and facilitators. Across both interview groups, researchers identified 37 actionable themes across the five CFIR 2.0 domains. The results are summarized in Table 1. In the innovation domain, participants praised VR-MRT’s realism, flexibility and safety, but were concerned about complexity and content creation. Many praised that VR-MRT lets teams practice dangerous scenarios without risk. Trainers also liked the scenario editor and the ability to import real mine geometry. One trainer noted that site-specific scenarios make the system “feel like our mine.” Built-in logging and the debrief module were also valued. Several participants spoke about objective feedback and scoring as a “game changer.” Still, participants had some concerns. A few said, “It needs to just work,” and worried about calibration and technical glitches. Trainers also worried about the time needed to build new scenarios and feared the system becoming a novelty with one-off content. In the outer setting domain, people discussed regulation, partnerships and external events. Several interviewees asked whether VR could satisfy contest rules or required training. One manager said, “If VR can count for a contest, that changes everything.” Participants also highlighted that the pandemic made remote training more acceptable. Others raised access issues. Some teams have never used VR. Participants urged stronger industry partnerships and clearer guidance from regulators to reduce uncertainty.The inner setting domain captured organizational capacity and infrastructure. Participants described procurement hurdles and the need for IT support. A training lead said, “Getting equipment through procurement can take months.” Organizations with limited staff worried about where VR work would fit in already busy roles. Physical space and scheduling were also practical barriers. Several participants asked for a clear point of contact and train-the-trainer materials. Participants noted that where organizations had committed personnel and transparent approval paths, adoption felt achievable, but where bureaucracy and competing priorities dominated, plans were likely to stall. Under the individuals domain, interviewees emphasized the need for buy-in and change leadership, but trainers, leaders and trainees each voiced different concerns. Many high-level leaders liked the idea of VR. Mid-level leaders were cautiously supportive. Some trainers and trainees were enthusiastic. Others resisted the idea of new technology. One instructor commented, “Some of our instructors are into it, but maybe half are not.” Participants repeatedly recommended identifying champions. They said a champion could secure resources, rally staff and keep the project moving. The implementation process domain highlighted actionable feedback with practical steps and sequencing. Participants wanted incremental rollout and clear planning. They suggested starting small with pilot events and then expanding. Several interviewees recommended shared regional facilities to reduce costs and build local expertise. The university pilot and the VR contest proved to be good opportunities to convince skeptics. As one competitor put it, “We finished one scenario and then wanted more.”Across domains, the voice of participants was clear. They saw VR as promising and useful. They also wanted realistic expectations, simple tools and organizational support. Practical fixes emerged from their feedback. Participants asked for easier content creation, commercial hardware, clear roles for IT and trainers, leadership champions, and regulatory conversations. They stressed that with these things in place, VR could become a durable supplement to current mine rescue training. Conclusions This pre-implementation evaluation demonstrates strong acceptability and perceived appropriateness of VR-MRT among mine-rescue stakeholders, with clear preference for VR as a supplement. CFIR-guided findings revealed concrete organizational, technical and individual barriers that are addressable through targeted design choices, training programs and strategic pilots. NIOSH’s iterative incorporation of implementation science principles provides a replicable pathway for adopting immersive training across mining contexts more generally. NIOSH plans to continue implementation research, broaden site pilots and make VR-MRT software publicly available (Table 1). Disclaimer The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mention of any company name or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH, CDC. References A list of all references is available in the full paper.

Pre-implementation evaluation of VR as a mine safety training tool

Authored by: Jennica L. Bellanca and Cassandra L. Hoebbel

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To view this article you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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