DNV GL awarded the first functional safety capability assessment (FSCA) certificate to Rockwell Automation, for their Functional Safety Management (FSM) system, and the first Functional Safety Product (FSP) certificate for the safety related product designed and developed by FMC Fluid Technologies (FMC).
DNV GL issued its first Functional Safety Product (FSP) certification for a selection of FMC's compact ball valve models, demonstrating their capability of being implemented into a safety system with a defined level of integrity. The assessment focused on the bare stem floating ball valve and bare stem trunnion mounted ball valve (Models B, 1B and 2B), developed by FMC. DNV GL started by assessing FMC's quality management system and completed a detailed assessment of the hardware design and engineering processes against the requirements of IEC 61508:2010-2.
"Working with FMC through this project, it's clear that they have a solid commitment to safety and delivering quality products that directly impact the oil and gas industry," Crystal James, DNV GL project manager said.
"The key advantages to certifying a product, system or process against the International Standards for Functional Safety are that it is increasingly being seen as a contractual requirement,” Andrew Derbyshire, principal safety engineer with DNV GL said. “Certification, whilst not defined in the standard, gives a competitive edge and helps to develop more rigorous design and development processes through a third party periodic assessment. However, key to the process is that it gives reassurance to stakeholders."