Gamification is a strategy that has been increasingly used in different contexts, including the workplace.
It is nothing more than applying game elements to activities that are not necessarily games, with the aim of engaging and motivating participants, making learning more fun and effective. 
When did gamification start to be used in corporate training?
Gamification began to be used in corporate training in the 2000s, but became popular in the following years with the evolution of digital technologies and the growing demand for more engaging and interactive learning solutions.
Using gamification in corporate training is a way to make the learning process more fun and motivating, transforming training activities into games that challenge participants to achieve specific goals, accumulate points and receive rewards.
This approach can increase information retention and training effectiveness by making it more interesting and engaging for employees.
In recent years, gamification has become an increasingly popular trend in corporate training and development, with many organizations adopting gamification solutions to enhance employee engagement and improve training effectiveness.
Gamification has been used in a variety of contexts, from workplace safety training and specific skills development to new employee onboarding programs and leadership training.
Gamification and Security in Work
In the area of workplace safety, gamification can be a very efficient tool for training and development.
Workplace safety is a very important issue in any work environment. Training and education on this topic are essential and mandatory according to the Ministry of Labor.
Node use of PPE, for example, the worker needs to be guided on how and when to use it to protect his physical integrity.
However, these trainings are often considered monotonous and tiring by employees, which can reduce the effectiveness of learning. That's where gamification comes in.
What would gamification of training look like?
As we have already said, gamification is a technique that uses game elements in non-playful contexts to increase participants' motivation, engagement and learning.
It can be applied in training for Regulatory Standard NR-06, for example, which deals with occupational health and safety in relation to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), as follows:
- Set clear objectives for training: Before you start planning your training gamification, it’s important to define the learning objectives that need to be achieved. These could include learning about the types of PPE, how to use them correctly, and the importance of using them.
- Identify the game elements: To make training more engaging, you need to identify which game elements can be used. These can include scoring, rewards, challenges, competitions, characters, and narratives.
- Create challenges: Create challenges that allow participants to apply the knowledge they have acquired in a practical way. For example, create hypothetical situations in which participants must choose the correct PPE for a given activity or identify situations in which PPE is being used incorrectly.
- Offer rewards: Rewards can include points, badges, medals, or other virtual prizes that participants earn by completing tasks or achieving certain goals. These rewards can be used as incentives to keep participants motivated.
- Use narratives: Narratives are a way to involve participants in the story of the training. They can be created around a fictional character who faces problems related to the use of PPE and gradually learns how to use it correctly.
- Provide feedback: Feedback is essential to let participants know how they are doing and what they need to improve. It can be given through scores, comments, or other forms of feedback that indicate whether participants are on the right track.
- Monitor progress: Monitor participant progress to assess the effectiveness of the training. This can be done through performance reports that show each participant’s individual progress.
Of course, this is just one example; there are many possibilities. By using game elements, creating practical challenges, offering rewards, using narratives, providing feedback, and monitoring progress, you can increase retention of information and improve the effectiveness of training.
What can be gained from gamification in Occupational Safety training?
When we apply gamification to workplace safety training, it is possible to make learning more interactive and dynamic.
Educational games can be created to address different safety topics, such as accident prevention, correct use of personal protective equipment, safety signs, among others.
Furthermore, activities can be adapted to different levels of knowledge and skill, to meet the specific needs of each group of workers.
Gamification can also be used to encourage employee participation in training. For example, it is possible to create competitions between teams or individuals, with rewards for the best performances.
Examples and benefits of gamification in Occupational Safety training
In gamification, games can have progression elements, where employees advance in level as they answer questions correctly. This increases motivation and engagement among participants, making them feel more involved in the learning process.
Another benefit of gamification in workplace safety training is that it allows for more accurate assessment of learning. The results of educational games can be easily recorded and analyzed, providing valuable insights into employee performance.
This can help managers identify areas where workers need more training and improvement, as well as allow for more accurate tracking of individual employee progress.
In addition to the benefits for employees, gamification can also bring advantages to companies. More effective training can reduce the incidence of workplace accidents, reducing the costs of compensation and medical treatments.
Gamification in Occupational Safety training and engagement. What is it?
With the gamification of training, employees become more engaged (participative) and motivated, tending to be more productive and efficient, which can bring positive results for the company's performance as a whole.
What experience with this type of training has shown is that gamification can be a very useful tool for making occupational safety training more effective and less monotonous and tiring.
By applying game elements to educational activities, it is possible to make learning more interactive and dynamic, in addition to encouraging employee participation and involvement. This makes it possible to improve safety in the workplace.
Needless to say, training is essential for a safe workplace environment.
