Fire Protection Training with VR Launched in the UK

The training is being considered as the first-of-its-kind in the country

A new venture named trainingEXP, focussing on passive fire protection and health and safety training in the property and construction sector, has been launched in the UK. Involving virtual reality (VR) at its heart, this training is being considered as the “first of its kind” in the UK and has been set up by Jason McKnight and Joseph Dillon as a sister concern to their construction and project management business RECOM Solutions.

With a six-figure investment sum, the new venture will have Adam Steed, an inspector of fire protection systems registered under Warringtonfire’s Fire Certification Scheme (FIRAS), heading the team of trainers. It will provide in-depth passive fire protection training aimed at the residential, health and social care, commercial, leisure, education, heritage and industrial sectors as well as fire and rescue services, professionals such as architects, tradespeople and operatives. A salient feature of the courses is the VR training that replicates live environments to raise awareness of common fire protection hazards in buildings.

 “We have developed innovative and bespoke software which is unlike anything else available in the UK and Europe. It works in a similar way to the hazard perception section of the driving theory test. By replicating live environments, such as hospitals, users can take virtual walks around buildings to carry out passive fire surveys and identify fire protection hazards in an immersive way. Unlike other available software, this is entirely interactive and our delegates can interact with the simulations we have created,” said McKnight. “We initially created a training academy for our own specialist passive fire protection operatives, supervisors, project managers and surveyors. However, in response to client demand we decided to expand it into a full-scale venture. We believe there is a great need for this service, and we are using VR as a central component of the training to enhance the experience,” he added.

The online health and safety courses launched by trainingEXP focus on construction environments and cover areas such as asbestos, design, regulation, first aid and manual handling. All courses are recognised or accredited by industry bodies such as the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and the Association for Specialist Fire Protection.

Steed said, “It’s an exciting opportunity to head trainingEXP. Our mission is to help companies and organisations better understand their obligations and provide industry professionals with specialist knowledge that will improve fire safety. The training aims to create an in-depth understanding that passive fire protection is a life safety feature and compliance within this industry needs to be fully understood to move forward.”