Training without risk: how VR scales safety-critical skills

Oct 13, 2025

discrete manufacturing
virtual reality

For a leading international manufacturer in advanced materials and process technologies, training operators on hazardous procedures had become a growing concern. Tasks such as molten metal extraction and reactor vessel maintenance were too risky to practice live and too rare for workers to build lasting confidence. The company’s digitalization lead wanted to find a scalable, safe alternative. Together with delaware, the team turned to virtual reality to unlock immersive training that mirrors real-life scenarios and strengthens safety, speed, and consistency across the board.(8 minute read)

Challenge

A leading global manufacturer needed a safer, more scalable way to train operators on rare and risky industrial procedures. Live practice was limited by restricted availability and outdated documentation, making consistent knowledge transfer difficult

Solution

Using the SmartSkills platform, delaware developed custom VR training modules. These created repeatable, high-fidelity simulations of high-risk operations in a fully immersive environment.

Results

VR training improved safety, engagement, and knowledge consistency, while eliminating the need for real-time equipment or in-person trainer availability.

Challenge

The company needed a safer, more scalable way to train operators on rare and risky procedures, with limited real-world availability and unreliable documentation. “Traditional training just wasn’t enough anymore,” the digitalization lead explains. “People need to be prepared for emergency scenarios, but you can’t safely replicate those conditions on site. We had to find a better way.”

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Physical danger and real incidents: Tasks such as handling pressurized chemical containers carry life-threatening risks, including toxic exposure. These scenarios cannot be safely reproduced for training.
Limited training opportunities: Some procedures can only be performed once a month under tightly controlled conditions with a single trainee and trainer. Knowledge transfer was slow and heavily reliant on a few experienced operators.
Outdated or incomplete documentation: Manuals often lagged behind actual practices. As equipment and procedures evolved, written guidance didn’t always keep up. Trainers were forced to rely on tacit knowledge and improvised solutions.

Solution

“Traditional training just wasn’t enough anymore,” the digitalization lead explains. “People need to be prepared for emergency scenarios, but you can’t safely replicate those conditions on site. We had to find a better way.” “To modernize and scale training, we focused on four pillars,” explains Sven De Hauwere, Mixed Reality Developer at delaware.

Immersive simulation: Using delaware’s SmartSkills platform, VR environments were built to replicate the company’s plant settings and procedures, including joystick controls, safety steps, and material handling.
Iterative validation: Training modules were co-developed with subject-matter experts. Regular feedback sessions and on-site tests ensured the modules reflected real operator behavior, not just theory.
Hardware flexibility: The solution supports Meta Quest Pro headsets and other OpenXR-compatible devices, giving future-proof flexibility across sites and teams.
Smart tracking and feedback: Performance is tracked via secure login, enabling personalized insights and continuous learning development.

To achieve real-world impact, we developed a VR app that enables our client to transfer critical skills safely, consistently, and at scale.

Sven De Hauwere, Mixed Reality Developer at delaware

Reframe the challenge

What started as a safety initiative grew into a broader training transformation. Together with trainers and operators, we mapped every step of validated procedures.

Build fast, adapt faster

A working proof of concept for molten metal extraction was created in just 30 days. That allowed the team to test the method early, win internal support, and shape the full solution based on hands-on experience.

Scale through modularity

After the first module, a reactor vessel maintenance module was added using the same platform. The modular setup makes it easier to update, customize, and replicate across other procedures.

Results

With VR now embedded in the training approach, the company is already seeing strong benefits:

Improved safety: Operators learn how to handle critical procedures without being exposed to live risks.
Faster onboarding: New employees don’t have to wait for rare real-world opportunities to begin learning.
More consistent training: VR ensures each learner follows the same validated path, eliminating variation between trainers or outdated instructions.
Positive operator feedback: Teams report strong engagement and real-world familiarity. Usability issues were fixed early during live testing.

“This approach is fundamentally transforming how we train and develop our teams,” the digitalization lead concludes. “By prioritizing safety and minimizing risk, we’re ensuring our people gain the confidence and skills they need to excel.”

A co-created solution

The collaboration worked because the client and delaware acted as one team, built on shared ownership and mutual trust.

“From the very start, the client was open about the challenges we faced,” says Sven. “Together, we broke down complex topics into manageable parts and turned them into a clear roadmap. We worked in short cycles, tested quickly, and kept improving based on real feedback. That way of working led to sharp decisions and visible progress.”

“delaware stepped in early and spent time with people on the floor,” adds the digitalization lead. “By listening closely to our daily reality, they understood what really mattered and shaped the VR training into something that felt useful right away.”

The result? A co-created solution that people trust and use every day.

What’s the real value of VR training?

At the Antwerp Maritime Academy, a study tested how VR compares to traditional training for complex procedures. 38 students were randomly assigned to one of three groups. One followed traditional classroom and lifeboat training, another trained only in VR, and a third used a combination of both. After training, each student performed a real-world lifeboat operation, scored across 40 individual actions. The results showed that students trained with VR alone or combined with classroom sessions scored higher than those who had followed traditional training only. This confirms that VR improves how people learn hands-on procedures. It gives trainees space to practice, make mistakes, and repeat steps until they build real confidence.

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