Learning game for improving forklift drivers’ safety awareness

Forklift drivers in in-house logistics are at a high risk of occupational injuries. This study piloted a video-based learning game for forklift drivers, designed to increase their safety awareness in their highly dynamic operating environment. The game consisted of video clips filmed from the driver’s perspective. Each video clip was stopped and masked at a point where a safety-relevant item or hazard appeared. Two locations were marked on the screen, one with the hazard and the other with no hazard. The players had to choose the location with the hazard while the screen was masked and received feedback on their choice. Eighty-one professional forklift drivers played the game at their workplaces during the 3–4 month intervention. In addition, forklift registered hard shocks were recorded and compared to the game performance of 20 participants. Higher accuracy in the game correlated with a lower shock rate, suggesting that real-world forklift driving skills transferred to the game. However, accuracy improvement in the game did not decrease the vehicle registered hard shocks. During the intervention, 40% of the participants reported that they began to pay more attention to the hazards of their work environment. Overall, the results suggest that a gamified approach could be useful for demonstrating safety-relevant features at the workplace and supporting drivers’ safety-related self-reflection.