Corpus Christi workers attending the Work Safe, Texas summit in September experience Safety in a Box, a simple and easy way to turn a smartphone and a cardboard box into a virtual reality teaching tool. Courtesy photo
The first virtual reality tool used for workplace safety in the insurance industry was introduced to the nearly 200 Corpus Christi city and business leaders who attended the Work Safe, Texas summit in September. Safety in a Box educates employees about how to avoid accidents while on the job. It includes a foldable Google Cardboard viewer that can be easily distributed by mail.
The summit was hosted by Texas Mutual Insurance Co., a policyholder-owned company that is the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance. The summit’s goal was to educate and connect business owners and operations leaders on a range of workplace safety issues.
One way to expand workplace safety is through education — something Texas Mutual has made as easy as downloading an app and slipping a smartphone into a Safety in a Box cardboard viewer.
A variety of apps exist with smartphone-friendly videos for different industries. After downloading the correct app, insert the phone into the assembled viewer and follow onscreen prompts. Currently, two apps are available: one for manufacturing and one for construction. Each shows a variety of safety scenarios followed by a short quiz. Versions are available in English and Spanish and can be used with iPhones or Androids.
Texas Mutual was awarded the Strategy Meets Action’s Innovation in Action Award in 2016 for development of Safety in a Box. The award honors insurers for reinventing the business.
“We are always looking for new ways to talk and teach about workplace safety,” said Jeremiah Bentley of Texas Mutual when the award was announced in Austin. “We believe Safety in a Box is a lifesaving educational tool, so it means a lot for our work to be recognized in this way.”
The half-day summit held workshops and discussions on successful safety initiatives and best practices among the city’s top industries, including construction, service, and oil and gas.
“Every industry faces its own hazards affecting productivity, morale, and the bottom line,” said Bentley, who is the company’s vice president of marketing and customer engagement. “The Work Safe, Texas Summit is designed to help decision makers prepare a strategy for keeping workers safe and on the job, benefiting both the employee and the employer.”
