a.s.r. launches VR prevention tool for a safer construction sector

At a.s.r., more than half of the claims burden on business liability insurance relates to personal injury. Over 30% of these claims come from the construction sector. The growth in solar panel installations has further increased the number of fall incidents in recent years. Employers do everything they can to create a safe working environment, yet in practice it remains impossible to eliminate all risks completely.
In collaboration with VR Owl, a.s.r. has therefore developed unique software using virtual reality.

In a digital environment, realistic scenarios are simulated across five modules: working at height, working on scaffolding, working with a ladder, working on a roof, and working with solar panels. Through a VR headset, the prevention tool allows professionals to experience what happens when they make a wrong judgement or fail to comply with safety regulations.

The VR headsets and software program are made available on loan to construction companies via their insurance adviser. Together with advisers, a.s.r. ensures that customers become familiar with the tool.

Michael Helmer, deputy director of commercial lines p&c at a.s.r.: ‘Because we know that many accidents occur in construction, agriculture, and industry, we looked for ways to make professionals more aware of the risks. Experience shows that seeing and feeling makes an impression: a colleague falling from a roof, the sensation of falling yourself, or a construction component hitting your head. With this VR experience, the consequences of a wrong choice become tangible. Our prevention advisers and account managers show advisers and construction companies how the VR headset works, so they can use it themselves. In this way, we work together to create a safer workplace. If we can protect even one family from the consequences of a fall, that is already a successful outcome for us.’