The initiative is aimed at enhancing employee and business partner safety and learning through immersive virtual reality training
Jharsuguda:Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has taken a remarkable leap in safety training with the introduction of an innovative Virtual Reality (VR) experience zone. This pioneering initiative aims to transform traditional safety training methods by leveraging immersive virtual simulations to create a safer, more engaging, and impactful learning environment for its workforce and partners.
The VR experience zone is a collaborative venture between Vedanta Aluminium and CHRP India Pvt. Ltd., a global leader in interactive learning technology services. This state-of-the-art facility equips employees and business partners with a platform to undergo simulation-based training that replicates real-life scenarios. With modules spanning from ‘Work at Height’ to ‘Use of Fire Fighting Equipment,’ the VR experience zone offers a comprehensive range of safety training programs that address critical concerns across diverse operational areas.
The VR Experience Zone has already garnered significant recognition, with the initiativebeing honoured with the prestigious CII Gold Award in both the National and Regional levels for excellence in safety digitalization. This accolade serves as a testament to the pioneering nature of the initiative and its potential to shape the future of safety training across industries.
Speaking on Vedanta Aluminium’s safety-first culture, Mr. Sunil Gupta, CEO – Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, safety of our people and partners is our foremost priority. Our aluminium operations are governed by the highest safety standards, creating a safe working environment for our employees and business partners. We have extensively deployed safety technologies and behaviour-based initiatives to further strengthen our safety performance. The virtual reality experience zone will add to our safety culture transformation initiatives. We believe that this innovative approach will not only enhance the learning process but also instill a safety-first mindset within our workforce.”
Talking about the partnership, Mr. T Satish Kumar, Business Director, CHRP India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The VR Experience Zone champions advancements in safety training and stands as a testament to the Vedanta’s commitment to fostering a culture of safety excellence. We are proud to partner with the company in this initiative. By providing employees with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in lifelike scenarios, this intervention will introduce new training methodologies and raise the bar for safety standards across the manufacturing sector, where safety of workers is paramount.”
Vedanta Aluminium is working extensively towards creating a safer workplace by constantly bolstering and enhancing its Safety Management System with advanced technologies and environmental safeguards. Some notable safety practices by the company are –
- Sankalp, a Safety Culture Transformation Programme implemented by Vedanta Aluminium across all its operations, including Jharsuguda, in partnership with DuPont Sustainability Solutions. Through this programme, the company is nurturing an interdependent safety culture to overcome safety gaps arising out of cultural and behavioural issues and instil a culture of safety through coaching, counselling, monitoring and feedback on safety behaviour
- Instituting the Visible Felt Leadership programme, as part of which the company’s leadership personally anchors safety quotient at site through regular employee engagements and audits of safety practices at shopfloors.
- An all-women fire-fighting team ‘Agnivahini’ at Jharsuguda, who have been meticulously trained to act efficiently and effectively during emergencies.
- A robust Safety MIP (Management in Place) allows the company to deploy personnel with the required safety skillset, knowledge, and attitude at the right place within the safety structure, making safety a shared responsibility.
- Safety Stand Down, a programme wherein leadership teams engage with employees and business partners on various facets of health, safety and environment, to build a holistic safety-first culture.
- Extensive digitalization of operations and processes is helping Vedanta Aluminium minimize human interaction with machines
- Manufacturing Execution System ensure visibility of all critical plant operations, allowing for remote decision-making through mobile applications, while employees can maintain social distancing and yet fulfil their activities on the plant floor
- Video analytics for fire detection and monitoring of the workforce’s adherence to Personal Protective Equipment
- Mobile & web applications have been developed inhouse for monitoring of safety parameters at various work sites
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2022 world rankings for aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
