More and more training schools, construction contractors, unions, trades associations, and other organizations are bringing simulators into their heavy equipment operator training programs.
Why is that? Powered by technology that recreates detailed real training scenarios, heavy equipment, and work environments, simulators provide an excellent avenue for training.
Some of today’s high-quality simulation training systems are also designed to replicate authentic machine behavior to such a precise degree that they feel just like the equipment they are simulating. As a result, simulation training systems offer a variety of powerful benefits that provide a competitive edge to those who use them.
The Benefits of Simulation Training
When it comes to simulation-based training benefits, there are a lot to choose from. In fact, with a simulation training system, an organization can:
Let’s take a closer look at these benefits of simulation training:
1. Simulators Increase Safety
First, let’s talk about the safety benefits of simulation. Accidents are the worst-case scenario on a construction site, leading to substantial damage to property and even sometimes personnel. The cost of an accident—once fines, damages, and other factors have been accounted for—can be significant. Fortunately, simulation training makes accidents less likely to happen. That’s because training on a simulator has been proven to improve operator safety habits and reduce the risk of injuries, fatalities, and damage to equipment and property.
This is due to the realism of certain state-of-the-art simulation training systems, which enable trainees to develop skills that are easily transferable to real equipment. Operators get a head start practicing safe, competent, and reliable habits before stepping onto a real worksite.
2. Simulation Helps Standardize Heavy Equipment Operator Training
One of the benefits of simulation training is that it helps organizations standardize training by allowing every trainee to complete the same exercises under the same conditions. It’s hard to compare a crane operator training on a sunny day with another operating under overcast conditions. With simulation, trainees can be compared on an objective apples-to-apples basis with other operators. Tracking, measuring, and benchmarking operator performance is made simple and objective with a simulation training system. As a result, every trainee gets effective training, without any exceptions.
3. Simulation Training Improves Productivity
Simulation-based training has been proven to increase heavy equipment operator productivity by reducing the time it takes them to accomplish different objectives. Consider this case study in simulator use from Conewago Enterprises: One excavator operator, who was already bench loading for the company, went through ten exercise sessions on Conewago’s new simulator. By the tenth time, he had reduced his cycle time from four and a half minutes to three minutes—saving about a minute and a half on excavator cycle time. This reduction in cycle time—when applied to entire projects—led to significant improvements in overall productivity.
4. Simulation Training Cuts Costs and Saves Money
When Conewago Enterprises shaved a minute and a half from its excavator cycle time, it was also able to dramatically cut costs and boost profits. How so? Because shaving just 30 seconds off cycle time generates approximately $39,000 worth of savings on a 30,000 cubic yard project—and $120,000 for a 100,000 cubic yard project. Given that Conewago was able to reduce its cycle time by triple that amount, the savings it experienced were substantial.
Using simulators for training also means companies don’t have to take revenue-generating equipment out of service to use for operator training purposes—and that instructors can sometimes focus on other, higher-value tasks while trainees complete lessons at their own pace. It’s a more efficient allocation of resources, which reduces the total cost of training. Add to that the fact that simulators reduce fuel use and speed up training, and it’s easy to see how simulation training can provide a good ROI. In fact, according to Greg Smith, Project Manager for Conewago: “Using the simulator, we were able to cut crane training costs by around $30,000 per operator.”
5. Simulators Are Always Available for Training
Simulators are also available for use 24/7 every day of the year, regardless of weather or ground conditions. That can be especially helpful in colder climates, where the ground may freeze in winter, for example. Ultimately, this means that trainees—as well as experienced operators—always have access to a resource for upskilling. This allows companies to make excellent use of downtime.
6. Simulators Help Screen Candidates Objectively
Simulators can be used for a lot more than just heavy equipment operator training. In fact, the detailed reporting features and metrics provided by a simulation training system can help organizations screen prospective operators or trainees before they are ever put into the cab of an expensive piece of machinery.
During the job interview process, organizations can test candidates on a simulator to ensure that they really have the skills they claim. HR departments can also use simulators to evaluate existing employees and see who might have the aptitude for a career in heavy equipment operation. Some companies will also use test courses in their simulation training system to test operators ahead of a particularly dangerous or high-risk job, ensuring that only those fully capable of handling the demands of the job make it onto the site.
7. Simulators Protect Equipment
Because simulators reduce the need for real equipment during operator training—in some cases by as much as 40%—another useful benefit of simulation training is that it reduces equipment wear and tear. It’s well known that novice trainees can be hard on machinery. With simulation-based training, your equipment takes less punishment from novice operators, leading to fewer accidents and the need for fewer repairs.
8. Simulator Training Provides Environmental Benefits
While perhaps not the most significant benefit of simulation training, it’s worth mentioning the fuel savings it provides. Equipment used for training burns fuel, but simulators don’t, which makes them far cheaper to run and reduces CO2 emissions. In some jurisdictions, this translates directly into tax credits or other financial incentives.
9. Heavy Equipment Operators Learn Faster With Simulation Training
One of the advantages of simulation-based learning is that it allows trainees to learn faster than they would with on-the-job training on real equipment. It’s well known that trainees learn best from their mistakes, which is really only practical in a virtual learning environment on a simulator.
10. Simulation Simplifies Team Training
Simulators also make it possible to conduct team-based training with multiple machines, signalers, and operators working together in a virtual environment. This can be expensive, difficult, and time-consuming to reproduce in real life, but is safe and easy to set up with a simulation training system. Plus, the ability to assess and develop communication skills in the classroom helps prepare operators for success in the field.
11. Simulation Improves the Quality of Operator Training Programs
The benefits of simulation and learning solutions for heavy equipment operator training also extend to instructors as well. With some simulation training systems, for example, instructors gain access to whole new ways of monitoring student progress and performance. Data on everything from safety violations to time spent completing exercises helps instructors easily pinpoint areas in need of improvement. In addition, they can use simulation to view grading exercises below ground, or fly above a virtual worksite via drone in the simulation. With these new viewpoints, instructors can provide even better feedback and guidance to trainees.
Simulation training systems also make corrective training much easier. This is a benefit of simulation training that The National Construction Training Centre in Ireland found especially useful. “Simulation training does a brilliant job of allowing for corrective training on the spot,” said John Kelly, the Training Center Manager. “You don’t have to come down off of a crane and go into a classroom. The instructor can provide corrective training right then and there while literally standing next to the student.”
There Are Even More Advantages of Simulation Training
This isn’t a complete list, but we do hope it gives you a good overview of a variety of simulation training benefits.
Simulators are designed and built with the needs of real-life operators in mind, and high-quality solutions provide the realism and instructor support tools that make training easier to standardize, safer, more effective, more convenient, and faster. This, in turn, helps companies improve productivity, reduce costs, reduce emissions, and better screen candidates. For many, it’s a competitive advantage that makes a real difference.
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- Posted by cmlabs