The recognized connection between inadequate safety outcomes and workforce skill deficiencies in global construction has driven growing interest in Virtual Reality (VR) for skills training. Prior reviews emphasize technical constraints and neglect alignment with established safety management systems. To fill this gap, this study aligns industry safety training requirements with the capabilities of current academic studies on VR, pinpointing areas that should guide future VR development. Researchers developed a Safety Training Matrix (STM) by systematically reviewing academic literature and secondary materials from international regulators, including OSHA and the UK HSE; the STM specifies 23 training needs and 14 training goals. After the STM was completed, a systematic Scopus literature search identified 39 VR studies and mapped them against the matrix. Key insights from this mapping were corroborated through expert interviews. Findings show that while VR scenarios robustly cover the high-risk “Fatal Four,” critical topics such as excavations, confined spaces, and manual handling are underrepresented. Additionally, many studies fail to address workforce diversity: multilingual content and low-literacy accessibility are largely absent, limiting VR’s potential despite its immersive engagement advantages. The study recommends prioritizing industry-aligned VR scenario development and inclusive design to better meet practical training needs across diverse global workforces.
Jat et al. (Mon,) studied this question.