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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nDeveloped entirely in-house by Drydocks World Dubai\u2019s Learning and Development team, the immersive VR training module represents a major leap in safety education and workforce engagement. The programme, which has successfully trained more than 15,000 employees and contractors, provides realistic, site-specific learning experiences that mirror the unique challenges of ship repair, construction and offshore environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Delivered in four languages \u2014 English, Hindi, Urdu and Tamil \u2014 the training focuses on 11 key hazards, allowing participants to learn and practise essential safety procedures in a fully immersive environment without real-world risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis project is a breakthrough \u2014 not just for IOSH but for the global marine industry,\u201d said Iain McIntosh, Senior Business Development Manager at IOSH. \u201cDrydocks World Dubai has shown how digital innovation can make safety training more inclusive and impactful, particularly in regions with highly diverse, multilingual workforces. By approving this programme, we\u2019re setting a new precedent for how immersive technology can enhance learning, retention and long-term safety culture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Mahfoodha Makki, Senior Manager \u2013 Talent Development at Drydocks World Dubai, the transformation in workforce engagement has been remarkable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPreviously, trainees found classroom sessions lengthy and repetitive. With VR training, they\u2019re fully immersed and actively engaged throughout the experience. The feedback has been outstanding, reflected not just in surveys but in meaningful behavioural change. The operations team now actively reminds one another about safety protocols, having witnessed the consequences first-hand,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The one-hour sessions, run twice daily for groups of eight, use advanced VR simulations tailored specifically to Drydocks\u2019 operational environment. The technology has driven a learning retention rate of up to 95%, compared with traditional methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The partnership represents a major milestone for IOSH in the Middle East, with a dedicated IOSH team investing considerable time on-site with the Drydocks team, offering continued support. This commitment led IOSH Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher to participate in on-site VR training herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was an exciting moment when Drydocks\u2019 VR course was demonstrated to meet all the stringent IOSH accreditation criteria,\u201d said Vanessa. \u201cA key takeaway for our future regional partners is the importance of involving IOSH at an early stage of programme design to ensure that content, structure and assessment are aligned from the start. I\u2019m delighted to say this collaboration with Drydocks has opened the door to an exciting new generation of IOSH-approved digital training worldwide and transformed how learning is delivered and experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the success of the VR module, Drydocks is now expanding the use of immersive technology to cover technical skills such as Working at Height, MEWP Simulator and EOT Crane Simulator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As IOSH continues to expand its footprint across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman, the institution is working closely with industry leaders to embed world-class safety culture through training, accreditation and bespoke consultancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe collaboration with Drydocks World Dubai exemplifies IOSH\u2019s commitment to advancing occupational health and safety standards in high-risk sectors by fostering innovation and partnership,\u201d said Vanessa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Safety reimagined: Workforce training in OSH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n IOSH and Drydocks World Dubai will present a joint panel session at Intersec Dubai in the new year. The session will explore the changing dynamics of workforce training in occupational safety and health (OSH), examining how organisations are rethinking delivery methods with IOSH and devising engagement strategies to meet the needs of diverse, multi-generational and multicultural teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3 January 2026, 12:45 \u2014 Intersec Dubai, Dubai World Trade Centre<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Drydocks World Dubai, a leading maritime and offshore service facilities, has achieved a groundbreaking, world-first milestone with the IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) approval of its virtual reality (VR) safety training programme \u2014 the first of its kind to be accredited by IOSH anywhere in the world. Developed entirely in-house by Drydocks World […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4189,"featured_media":135103,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[417,15994,809,332],"tags":[908,21407,21408,21405,17569,21410,21415,21412,21413,21417,21418,21416,21414,21409,21411,21406,21404],"class_list":["post-135101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-middle-east","category-more-news","category-software","tag-digital-transformation","tag-drydocks-world-dubai","tag-immersive-learning","tag-iosh","tag-maritime-industry","tag-middle-east-safety","tag-occupational-safety","tag-offshore-services","tag-osh","tag-safety-accreditation","tag-safety-innovation","tag-simulation-training","tag-uae-industry","tag-virtual-reality-training","tag-vr-safety-training","tag-vr-simulations","tag-workforce-training"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4189"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135101"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135106,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135101\/revisions\/135106"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}