SIG is a Swiss company which provides every day essential services in Geneva thanks to its know-how in energy networks, water and waste management.

The wide range of SIG’s activities and its commitment to the environment are the strength of this company.

Within the scope of natural gas grid management, SIG teams provide cover 24/7 in case of emergencies and safety in case of faults or leaks.

These operations are potentially very dangerous and can have an impact on normal gas distribution. They require extensive theoretical and practical knowledge with regular updates, so that the teams can do their work properly and in complete safety.

Despite a training program involving training in adapted teaching rooms, mentoring and being on call in pairs for several shifts, it has been acknowledged that the response team’s skill development could be improved. There is a need to ramp up training to cope with stressful and varied leaks in an environment where the public is present.

Indeed, there is no such thing as a standard in-situ intervention: the layout changes from one house to the next, one building to the next, as well as the origin and intensity of the leak, even the type of gas used.

How can we reproduce this wide range of situations for teaching purposes without putting the learners at risk, and without lessening the stress inherent to the operation? How can we practice at will, and in total safety situations impossible to replicate in reality ?

VR was the obvious and ideal choice for SIG. To create the simulator, we chose NUMIX, a French company with a long experience in creating realistic industrial simulators. These include variability, hazards, and efficient follow-up tools enabling VR's teaching potential to be fully exploited.