The team behind a pioneering virtual reality training technology has won an award for innovation and creativity at the BECBC Awards 2024.
The Britain's Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC) awards are an annual celebration of business successes throughout Cumbria and beyond.
Sellafield's Emerging Tech Team received the award for revolutionising the way in which the Sellafield site's electrical teams are trained via a virtual reality electrical isolations simulator.
The simulator immerses users in a familiar environment and allows them to practice and refine their understanding of electrical isolation procedures for multiple pieces of equipment.
All of this can all be done from the controlled environment of Sellafield's Engineering Centre of Excellence in Cleator Moor, West Cumbria, providing a safe space for users to practice, correct mistakes and develop their skills.
Training in this way offers valuable learning for trainees and has reduced the upskilling time from several weeks to just one day.
The breakthrough is a great example Sellafield Ltd's commitment to delivering safer, faster, and more cost-effective solutions through innovation and creativity.
David Eldon, behavioural strategy lead in engineering maintenance at Sellafield, said:
We took our time developing this programme with our supply chain partner V360 Energy and it's been a huge success.
The VR simulation addresses the burden on our on-site electrical teams to bring workers up to the expected standard.
This innovation will also positively impact other areas of the site and shows that nuclear decommissioning is at the forefront of technology advancement.
The BECBC judges said:
The team had the courage to adapt novel technology to an area which was delivered historically on site, this has reduced the cost and time it takes to train staff.
Their concept has gone from idea to reality, and it has been adopted with excellent feedback; it also has future planned development to be adapted to other areas of the company.
