Five Ways to Improve Safety and Operator Training with Heavy Equipment Simulators

Lineman safety training has come a long way over the last few decades. Now, new technological advancements are bringing simulation training into the heavy equipment operation world, allowing operators to benefit from a safer approach when training. CM Labs and Utility Fleet Professional hosted a webinar on this important topic, entitled “How ALBAT Integrated Simulation-Based Training to Bridge Skill Gaps with Operators.” The webinar, now offered in an on-demand format, brings Daniel Cooper, Area Coordinator at ALBAT, and Gary James, Subject Matter Expert at CM Labs, together to discuss heavy equipment operator safety training and its ability to change the way organizations approach workforce development. The results, they have found, have been stunning. Cooper estimates that every week a trainee spends on a heavy equipment simulator equates to two weeks or more in the field, improving training times and safety simultaneously.

Here are five key takeaways from Cooper and James’ discussion on how ALBAT integrated heavy equipment simulators into its training:

1. Training with simulation reduces risks and allows trainees to make mistakes in a safe environment.
2. Simulation is a very engaging approach to learning that enhances team building and information retention.
3. Intellia, CM Labs’ training management system, enhances training by giving instructors more flexibility, as well as high-quality data and reporting.
4. Simulation mitigates delays caused by bad weather, addresses the challenges of limited equipment availability, and makes training more efficient.
5. Heavy equipment simulation can move the industry towards a more consistent and standardized approach to training.

1. Training on Heavy Equipment Simulators Reduces Risk

During his discussion with Gary James, Cooper emphasized that his top reason for adding simulation into ALBAT’s training program was to improve safety. “Our biggest training reason for bringing in simulation was that safety aspect,” he said. “The movements feel real without the danger.”

Heavy equipment simulators empower students to fail safely and learn from their mistakes, rather than feel the stress and pressure of live equipment while still learning. Starting on real equipment straight from the classroom without that familiarization and feel for the machine can be dangerous and cause serious accidents, so using the simulator as a stepping stone during training helps with heavy equipment operator safety. Gary James agreed that simulation training allows students to learn from their mistakes in a safe and risk-free manner. “If you don’t do it wrong a hundred times,” he said, “you’ll never get it right.”

Cooper added that at ALBAT, after just five minutes on the simulator, operators told him, “Oh, I can feel the seat. I know my outrigger is floating right now,” and, “I know that I’ve got overload on my bucket. I can feel it bow.” Students know they’re digging against a utility that they shouldn’t be digging against because they can actually feel it in the chair. Cooper added that, “That’s a really excellent tool to have for heavy equipment operator safety training.”

2. Simulation Training Offers an Engaging Approach to Learning

Simulation training offers a learning experience that engages students on a deeper level than classroom lectures or presentations. By providing hands-on practice, simulation training offers a more engaging experience. In addition, heavy equipment simulators allow students to observe and learn from each other. For example, at ALBAT, instructors have six to ten trainees at any given time. While one student practices on the simulator and receives guidance, the others can watch and learn. As a result, training is faster, more effective, and more efficient.

Hands-on simulation lessons can also foster healthy competition between students, as they compete to see who can get the better score or the fastest time. This atmosphere, led by simulation training, also opens up peer-to-peer coaching. “You’ll have your star student telling another apprentice how to do it and why it’s done in that manner,” explained Cooper. This leads to them retaining more information, while fostering team building and making for a more enjoyable learning experience overall.

3. Intellia, CM Labs’ Training Management System, Enhances the Quality of Training

Intellia is a platform that turns heavy equipment simulators into a complete training system. It integrates with all the simulators an organization has, along with next-generation training management tools and equipment training packs, allowing instructors to monitor and manage students from one central location. Instructors can use the training tools to monitor multiple students at once, inject machine malfunctions and distractions into exercises, track students’ progress over time, create custom learning paths and scoring thresholds, and gain detailed data on student performance.

These features help instructors take lessons to the next level. Cooper shared that at ALBAT, teachers use Intellia Instructor to set benchmark scores that trainees need to achieve in order to gain access to the next lesson on a piece of equipment. In ALBAT’s case, students need a score of 85%, which they need to reach twice, to pass an exercise and move up in difficulty. This helps ensure that students only progress to the next lesson once they have properly understood the lesson before it. Instructors also have control over the organization of the exercises. According to Cooper, “It’s been astronomical for our micro-training.”

These capabilities even allow instructors to assign homework on the simulator. According to Cooper, “With Intellia, we can assign guys time to actually come in the classroom, as homework.” Instructors can review data on seat time and student performance, making sure that trainees are doing their homework, spending time on the simulator, and completing lessons with appropriate scores.

4. Simulation Training Makes Heavy Equipment Operator Training More Efficient

If there’s a shortage of equipment onsite, or if the weather isn’t ideal for outdoor instruction, heavy equipment simulators allow for instruction to continue without interruption. This helps prevent delays and keep training progressing, regardless of circumstances.

“For every week you spend on a sim, it’s like two weeks or more of being in the field.”

^{Daniel Cooper, Area Coordinator at ALBAT}

ALBAT also uses its simulators as a crucial piece of its training rotations. Cooper’s philosophy is that it’s better to break trainees into smaller groups. This allows trainees to be more focused and hands-on, with one group completing an assigned worksheet, another group on the simulator, and a last group actually running a piece of live equipment. This allows trainees to start working sooner, while still keeping safety as a priority.

This makes training more efficient and speeds up training times significantly. Cooper estimates that every week a trainee spends on a heavy equipment simulator equates to two weeks or more in the field.

5. Heavy Equipment Simulators Can Move the Industry Towards More Standardized Training

The use of simulation for operator training is a shift in the wind in the construction industry, and it’s a big shift. As instructors and seasoned operators know, lack of training and safety awareness is dangerous. Simulation affords those completely unfamiliar with the industry the opportunity to join the workforce and learn both safely and efficiently. Cooper’s advice is to “drop your bravado. Yes, we didn’t have these simulators when I came through. And yes, these are training tools, these are evaluation tools. Live action is always going to be best, but if you have a creative nature in your body, you can use it to evaluate this next host of operators and apprentices.” Heavy equipment simulators make work attainable to aspiring operators without the stress or dangers previous generations faced. It’s also less nerve-wracking for instructors. It provides numbers, facts, and data-driven analysis that removes any guesswork regarding pass or fail status.

Simulation training gives every trainee the same opportunity to succeed. Regardless of background or prior experience, progress is measured by merit and clear data. Each trainee follows the same lesson plan and is evaluated using consistent, objective criteria.

Simulation may not be how the industry previously handled lineman safety training, but Cooper is looking to the future. He stated that, “there’s going to come a time where people are born only knowing this. It’s going to be adopted pretty heavily.”

The Future of Heavy Equipment Operator Training

Daniel Cooper and ALBAT improved safety and operator training with the use of heavy equipment simulators. Integrating simulation into ALBAT’s curriculum gives its trainees the confidence to fail safely, enhanced team building, and mitigates equipment availability challenges as it embraces the future of heavy equipment operator safety training.

For more insight from ALBAT’s Daniel Cooper, watch the webinar, “How ALBAT Integrated Simulation-Based Training to Bridge Skill Gaps with Operators” here.

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