From Virtual to Real: VR Training in High-Risk Environments

Abstract

Training in high-risk environments is a persistent challenge for industries where human error can result in serious operational, economic, or life-threatening consequences. Sectors such as mining, petrochemical processing, aviation, emergency medical care, and energy production increasingly rely on virtual reality (VR) to prepare workers for complex and hazardous situations. This article presents a narrative review of contemporary research examining the use of VR as a training tool in high-risk contexts. The literature consistently highlights VR’s potential to enhance operational performance, strengthen hazard recognition, and support both procedural learning and knowledge retention through immersive and repeatable simulations. Studies also report increases in user confidence and perceived readiness, particularly when VR is used to reproduce critical scenarios that are unsafe or unfeasible to replicate physically. Despite these benefits, the reviewed evidence also reveals important limitations. Challenges include high implementation costs, unequal access to technological infrastructure, usability issues such as cybersickness or visual fatigue, and organizational resistance linked to unfamiliarity with immersive systems. Ethical concerns—particularly those related to data privacy, psychological risks, and the transparency of simulation algorithms—are increasingly emphasized in the emerging literature. Overall, the findings suggest that VR can be an effective and promising training strategy for high-risk industries when adoption is accompanied by clear institutional policies, instructor support, and ethically grounded implementation frameworks. This review synthesizes current trends and offers considerations to guide safe, responsible, and context-sensitive integration of VR into professional training programs.