VR Health & Safety

Owned by Care Reality
Last updated: May 07, 2024
2 min read

This page is all about keeping safe during Virtual Reality sessions and maintaining a good standard of hygiene with the VR equipment.

Headset Hygiene

Whether the headsets are being shared by many people or not, it is important to keep the VR headsets clean in between sessions. Here are a few tips to keep the VR headset clean:

  • Keep the silicone cover on the VR headset

  • Keep fabric parts of the VR headset away from cosmetic products to avoid staining

  • Use alcohol-based wipes to clean the VR headset after each use

Do not wipe the eye lenses: This could damage the headset.

Use a microfibre cloth to remove any dust/debris from the eye lens area.

Before Using Virtual Reality

We follow strict safety standards when conducting VR sessions to ensure the maximum level of safety for users and session facilitators. Before allowing a user to experience VR, it is important to ensure that they meet the following criteria:

  • The user is aged 13 or above (parent/guardian permission may be required)

  • The user has no history with epilepsy or seizures (sensitivity to flashing light)

  • The user has full use of their upper body (for hand tracking used in the software)

  • If the user is susceptible to motion sickness: make them aware they may experience this if they are new to VR

Safely Using Virtual Reality

When using VR, users are easily immersed into whatever they may be experiencing in the VR headset so it is extremely important that there has been a defined, safe area for each user to experience VR. Here are a few tips to ensure your next VR session is a safe one:

  1. Allow each user a play area of at least 2m²

  2. Place a static chair in the centre of the play area. We design our simulations to be experienced seated though other products may require users to be standing

  3. Create a Boundary in the VR headset to match the play area, with the user in the centre.

  4. Advise the user that if at any point they feel unwell or want to remove the VR headset for whatever reason, to do so as they see fit. They can continue the session if they require a short break.

  5. Supervise the VR session(s) & maintain the safety of the play area.

  6. Limit each VR session to 20 minutes at first. This can get longer over time as the user becomes more familiar with using VR.

Remember: while a user is in a VR simulation:

  • they are fully immersed in what they are experiencing

  • they cannot see you, and they may not hear you at first

  • expect them to reach out in any direction at any time

  • ensure that no one crosses any current session play area boundary