Austin, TX – Texas Mutual Insurance Company accepted the SMA Innovation in Action Award on September 19 for its development of Safety in a Box, the latest in safety training technology and the first of its kind using virtual reality (VR).
The Innovation in Action Award is given each year by Strategy Meets Action, a leading strategic advisory services firm. The award recognizes insurers who are rethinking, reimagining and reinventing the business of insurance.
“We are always looking for new ways to talk and teach about workplace safety,” Jeremiah Bentley, Texas Mutual senior marketing & community affairs manager, said. “We believe Safety in a Box is a life saving educational tool, so it means a lot for our work to be recognized in this way.”
Safety in a Box and its accompanying app allow the user to “experience” four different construction site accidents: being caught in a collapsing trench, touching an active electrical line, falling from a ledge, and being struck by a falling object.
The app uses a Google Cardboard viewer for engaging in the VR experience. Users can download the program in English or Spanish to any smartphone, insert the phone into the viewer and immediately become part of several virtual worksites developed for the project. The viewer also has the element of portability, allowing multiple users to participate at any worksite. Safety in a Box is available now for Android and iPhone users.
This application was the first time virtual reality has been used for workplace safety in the insurance industry, and Texas Mutual hopes that this technology will help prevent workplace accidents in the construction industry by promoting safe work practices.
To learn more about the campaign and Safety in a Box, please visit WorkSafeTexas.com.
Source: Texas Mutual