Safety training systems using a virtual plant linked dynamic simulator

Safety culture is of great importance in chemical engineering. Because many kinds of hazardous materials are in use at chemical facilities, if a severe accident happens, there is a risk of serious harm to employees and the residents of the local community. With this in mind, society needs to be assured of the safety and reliability of chemical plants. However, as the retirement rate of skilled workers is advancing in Japan, these experts’ knowledge and skills are being lost as inexperienced, young operators take control. As a result, operators/workers cannot adequately respond to abnormal situations at chemical plants. In this paper, we propose a safety training system that employs a computer-based virtual plant. The system is linked to a dynamic simulator. The safety awareness of operators will improve with this experiential training related to cases of unstable situations. In order to build a reliable safety culture, mutual understanding and the sharing of safety information are important. This system is useful for the transference of technology and safety knowledge.