DNV Certification, France, invited DNV Software to present its risk tools at their annual conference in Aix-les-Bains in May; more than 60 delegates from DNV’s French customer base attended.

Says Dr Pascal Le Gal of DNV Software: “Although the meeting focused primarily on certification and management systems issues, it also addressed key safety topics in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries in the francophone region. The presentation showed how DNV Software’s wide-ranging risk management products can help clients manage risk from complying with legislations – e.g. Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) studies – to help implementing management systems based on the isrs7 methodology.”

The two-day conference provided an ideal forum for presenting DNV Software’s capabilities, to meet delegates, several of them already customers, and to discuss new safety developments in France and how to meet emerging needs.

“Following industrial accidents such as the ammonium nitrate explosion in Toulouse on 21 September 2001, there has been mounting pressure on companies operating in France to improve safety at their high-risk sites. As a result, there is a substantial increase in QRA activities in the French process industry; this represents an opportunity for DNV to assist its customers in meeting their challenges by offering expert products and services in this field,” says Dr Le Gal.

He demonstrated the latest developments in Safeti, and the key benefits of using Phast, Safeti and Leak while performing a QRA.

Participants showed interest in DNV Software’s tools, and wanted to see DNV more involved in the French QRA market.