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The construction industry is witnessing an increasing adoption of virtual reality (VR) technology for training and education purposes. Given this trend, it becomes essential to critically investigate the impact it has on learners, especially when compared to traditional paper-based learning method. In this paper, the authors developed a close-to-reality virtual system using the Unity3D game engine. Participants engage in learning safety protocols, operating a virtual crane, and assembling a steel structure within this environment. Corresponding paper-based instructional materials were also developed for comparison. The study involved 16 participants who were randomly assigned to either the VR training or the traditional paper-based training, their brainwaves data were recorded through electroencephalography (EEG) headset during the training progress to assess their emotions. Results show that an individual is most likely to experience exciting emotions when they are training in the VR system compared with the traditional training method. The correlation with actual safety performance, however, remains unclear and requires further investigation.