Fjordbase Gruppen and NEXTLAYER

Virtual safety training setting a new standard in the industry

Together for a unified digital safety standard

A new standard in the industry

Fjordbase Group and NextLayer have jointly developed a groundbreaking VR solution that takes safety training to the next level. The project demonstrates how technology can strengthen safety culture, reduce risk, and make learning more relevant to everyday industrial operations.

A need for safe and realistic training

Fjordbase Group plays a central role as a logistics and supply hub for the Norwegian offshore industry.
Every day, complex lifts, heavy processes, and demanding operations are handled—where both safety and efficiency are crucial.

At the same time, the company wanted to further develop its HSE culture. Traditional classroom and e-learning courses are often perceived as too theoretical and less relevant for practical operations.
The need was clear: a solution combining safety, realism, and flexibility—without interrupting operations or exposing employees to risk.

Virtual training developed with Fjordbase

In close collaboration with Fjordbase, NextLayer has developed a VR-based training platform for industrial safety.
The solution allows employees to practice righ-risk, realistic scenarios in a safe, controlled environment—without using production equipment or exposing anyone to danger.

VR training provides a deeper understanding of everyday risk, strengthening decision-making, situational awareness, and compliance with safety routines.
The platform is designed for scaling and standardization so that other supply bases and suppliers can adopt the same system.

Advancing a Unified HSE Standard Across the Industry

The collaboration between Fjordbase and NextLayer demonstrates how virtual training can help establish a shared digital HSE standard for Norway’s offshore and supply industries.
When all participants train in the same realistic environment, following the same principles, understanding, collaboration, and safety improve across organizations.
This makes the VR solution more than a training tool—it’s a strategic investment in building a stronger safety culture for the entire industry.

VR training modules

The training modules were developed jointly by Fjordbase and NextLayer, based on IOGP’s “nine lifesaving rules”

  • Relevant rules – #6 Line of fire, #7 Safe mechanical lifting

  • Relevant rules – #9 Working at height, #6 Line of fire

  • Relevant rules – #6 Line of fire, #7 Mechanical lifting, #3 Driving

  • Relevant rules – #6 Line of fire, #7 Mechanical lifting, #4 Energy isolation

  • Relevant rules – #6 Line of fire, #7 Mechanical lifting, #4 Energy isolation

Documented results

Studies from PwC and IOGP show that VR training produces significantly better learning outcomes than traditional training:

  • Participants learn four times faster than in classroom settings.

  • They feel 3.75 times more confident applying what they’ve learned.

  • They report 3.75 times higher engagement and perceived relevance.

  • Immersive learning technologies can reduce accident-related costs by up to 40 %.

IOGP analyses also show that 376 fatalities (2008–2017) could have been avoided if the nine lifesaving rules had been fully followed—the very activities that VR training focuses on: working at height, mechanical lifting, and transport.

“This VR solution marks an important step in how we work with safety and competence in the industry. It allows us to train in realistic situations without risk—while simultaneously strengthening the safety culture across the organization and the industry.”

- Erlend Tofteseund
Executive Vice President, Logistics and Operations

Looking ahead

NextLayer and Fjordbase demonstrate how technology can address a real industry need: training people in realistic situations without risk.
VR training combines effective learning with improved safety and lays the foundation for a new generation of industrial training—where safety culture is built virtually but applied in reality.

Training that sticks

The exercises were developed in close collaboration with Fjordbase’s HSE and operations teams, and the industry has provided positive feedback on the initiative and the quality of the training program.

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