Air Products Promotes Silane Gas Safety in First-Ever Asian Silane Safety Seminar
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. (October 23, 2006) - Air Products (NYSE:APD), a globally diversified gases and chemicals company, recently chaired the first Silane Safety Seminar in Asia to share expertise and experience with the industry on the safe handling of silane, a specialty gas used extensively in the electronics industry in the manufacturing of semiconductors and flat panel displays which requires particular care due to its hazardous properties.
Held in Taiwan, the seminar is the first ever Silane Safety Seminar in Asia and it drew a full-house of more than 450 participants from major gas companies, industry associations, risk management specialists, material suppliers, end-users and Air Products' customers.
Air Products has been actively spearheading an industry effort to promote the importance of silane safety for years. "As a world leader in the electronics industry, Air Products is committed to product and process safety." said Eugene Ngai, director of Emergency Response and Disposal Technology at Air Products Asia, and the seminar's chairman. "Safety and reliability are the core tenets of our supply commitment to customers. Silane has unique properties that are critical to understand. We are very pleased to have chaired this seminar during which those attending could learn and share experiences on silane safety. We also thank all those involved for their active participation to enhance the strong working relationships to achieve silane safety."
The seminar was jointly organized by Asia Industrial Gases Association (AIGA), Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs Executive Yuan, Industry Development Bureau in Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Taiwan High Pressure Gas Industrial Association. A number of other safety organizations such as SEMI, Compressed Gas Association, Industrial Technology Research Institute (IRTS) and Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association (TSIA) and ERIC supported the event. This type of partnership among regulators, industry groups, customers and Air Products is important to the process of achieving the desired safe operational targets.
The day following the seminar, Air Products also hosted an internal event with more than 100 key customers and employees in Asia to further explore the techniques of silane handling and supply. Industry experts from Europe, North America and Asia spoke at the event and shared their valuable experience.
In May, Air Products conducted two days of silane release testing in Kaoshiung, Taiwan together with Kaoshiung First University, to better understand the behavior of silane under different conditions. A three-day silane safety training course was also conducted at the request of Taiwan's Tainan Science Industry Park (TSIP) authorities with 140 participants.
Air Products (NYSE:APD) serves customers in technology, energy, healthcare and industrial markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of products, services and solutions, providing atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials and chemical intermediates. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment and is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. The company has annual revenues of US$8.1 billion, operations in over 30 countries, and more than 20,000 employees around the globe.
For more information, visit www.airproducts.com or www.airproducts.com.cn
Media Inquiries:
(Asia)
Jessica Cheng,
Tel: (852) 2863-0585,
E-mail: chengjs@airproducts.com
(US)
Robert Brown,
Tel: (1 610) 481-1192,
E-mail: brownrf@airproducts.com
Investor Inquiries:
Ken Walck,
Tel: (1 610) 481-8315,
E-mail: walckkm@airproducts.com
