VR for HAZMAT Decon Facility Training

posted on 27 Feb 2025 by benjamin

Enhancing preparedness for HAZMAT decontamination through VR training.

Brief

We explore the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) for training in a simulated HAZMAT decontamination facility. The study involved 11 participants who underwent a decontamination scenario in VR, followed by a semi-structured interview. The findings highlight the potential of VR for providing a safe and immersive environment for HAZMAT training, with participants reporting a positive experience and perceived benefits for learning and safety.

This late-breaking work paper explores the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) for HAZMAT decontamination training. Mass decontamination training is crucial for hospital staff to effectively respond to large-scale chemical or radiological emergencies.

Conventional training methods involve resource-intensive and time-consuming on-site simulations in open decontamination facilities (ODFs). A VR system was developed to address these challenges, simulating decontamination workflows, casualty scanning, and prioritization under emergency conditions.

Members

Outputs

Benjamin Kwok, Jeannie S. Lee, Jing Shi, Zhi Quan Chng, Nisha Jain, Norhaliim Abdul Hamid, David Teng, and Kan Chen. 2025. VR for HAZMAT Decontamination Facility Training: An Initial Case Study. In CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ‘25), April 26-May 1, 2025, Yokohama, Japan. ACM, New York, NY, USA.