Immersive 3-D training technology from 3-D ETC (3-D Experiential Training Company) gave NASA employees a new perspective on safety during the annual “Safety Down Day” held January 4 at Ellington Field in Houston. “Safety Down Day” is held once a year “to reinforce the importance of maintaining a strong and focused commitment to safety” as NASA prepares to carry out its missions in the coming year.

NASA utilized “Safety, The Right Choice,” an innovative safety training program from 3-D ETC to motivate employees towards taking ownership and accountability for their own safety both on and off the job. In the program, groups of participants establish the foundation for making good safety decisions in all situations, and along with use of patented 3-D immersive technology, increase safety awareness by utilizing a number of learning and recall strategies. The program uses an easy to remember mnemonic, CAPS, to teach employees to make better Choices, pay Attention to task and environment, Pace themselves properly, and manage Stress.

“Use of immersive 3-D training puts NASA at the forefront of safety training,” said Dave Hodgson, President of 3-D ETC. “Just as people have been captivated by Avatar and other 3-D movie experiences, so have employees in industry, government and health care who have received our high-impact 3-D safety training programs.”

3-D ETC provides unique, proprietary programs that immerse employees into realistic experiences, quickly changing the way they think about safety. Immersive training simulates live situations, giving people the virtual sensation and emotional impact of their actions. Studies have shown that immersive 3-D training has a much higher impact on people than traditional training. While most employees have knowledge about how to act safely, they don't always put that into practice. 3-D ETC programs can help them make the right choices and move past just knowing what to do, to consistently doing what they know.

“Even the most diligent organizations have found that rigorously employing traditional methods, including hands-on and video training, process and system redesign, strict adherence to standards, and increased management attention to the problem, have not significantly changed staff safety behaviors or yielded satisfactory results over time,” said Hodgson. “With safety issues, it is critical to get the individual employee motivated to take personal responsibility for making the right choices and doing their job correctly. The key is to capture peoples’ attention and touch them emotionally, and that’s what makes our 3-D programs so effective.”

3-D ETC has been delivering safety training programs since 2005. Its clients include many types of commercial, industrial and government organizations as well as health care institutions seeking to reduce costly medical errors and prevent workplace accidents.

Companies interested in individualized demonstrations of 3-D ETC safety programs can contact Donald Silberstein at:dsilberstein@3-detc.comor call 248-594-4620.