Serious Labs is offering a new training course in mobile elevating work platforms (MEWP). The curriculum uses virtual reality to train students on heavy equipment and simulators to teach students how to use jobsite vehicles. The new coursework is compliant with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and the company says its the first compliant virtual reality operator training on the market.
This training focuses specifically on articulated and telescopic boom lifts for MEWP 3b certification. If an operator completes and passes the Serious Labs ANSI Compliant Assessment Scenario with a minimum of 80% proficiency, they will have demonstrated sufficient skill ability and awareness to be certified by the training entity.
The simulated training features consequence-free obstacles and situations that would be difficult to set up in a real-life training space, which is one of the reasons traditional trainers struggle to meet ANSI standards.Serious Labs
According to Serious Labs, the ANSI Compliant Assessment Scenario is designed to verify the MEWP 3b ANSI A92.24 and ISO 18878:13 specified boom lift competencies. The simulated training features consequence-free obstacles and situations that would be difficult to set up in a real-life training space, which is one of the reasons traditional trainers struggle to meet ANSI standards.
The simulator provides a data-based report of the operator’s techniques and behavior. The trainer is then able to focus specifically on areas for improvement in the operator’s skills, an aspect especially important for plant facility maintenance turnarounds and shutdowns where it is critical to understand the skills gaps for temporary workers who are operating equipment on location.
“How operators perform in this virtual test is going to correlate very closely to their skills and capabilities on a real boom lift, to the point of being usable for certifying operators. The test carefully and faithfully measures the qualities that ANSI asks for in a proficient MEWP operator," said Wallace Judd, president, Authentic Testing Corporation and former ANSI assessor.
Serious Labs’ ANSI and ISO-compliant operator equipment training via a Serious Labs’ MEWP simulator is available now in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The new training scenario is available in English, and will soon be available in Spanish, French and German. ANSI and ISO-compliant scissor lift operator training via a Serious Labs’ simulator will be available in late Q3.
The simulator provides a data-based report of the operator’s techniques and behavior.Serious Labs
The simulator calculates this proficiency score based on dozens of data points aligned with industry testing standards.
“We have always known that our combination of VR and analytics is the best way to train MEWP operators, but now it’s official,” said Jim Colvin, CEO, Serious Labs. “Our team has worked hard over the past few years to refine our simulator training to meet ANSI’s strict requirements. I’m proud that we are the only VR developers in the world who have achieved this accomplishment.”
