Linde's New York Pant Receives Responsible Care Certification
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Murray Hill & New Providence, New Jersey, U.S., December 15, 2011 - Linde in North America has received certification under the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care® program at its Selkirk, New York, air separation plant.
Linde North America is a member of The Linde Group, a world-leading gases and engineering company. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) is an association of producers, manufacturers and suppliers of chemical products.
Tim Wren, head of safety, health, environment and quality for Linde North America, said, "The employees at the Selkirk plant did a great job handling all the details associated with ACC certification. Their efforts were invaluable in the process that places Linde among the leaders in the U.S. when it comes to sustaining the practices specified in the Responsible Care management system."
Responsible Care is a globally recognized management system aimed at helping companies improve performance in areas such as safety, health, environment and security. Certification is mandatory for all ACC member companies, which must undergo headquarter and facility audits by an independent, accredited auditor to verify that they have a structure and system in place that manages and measures performance. Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) is Linde's independent auditor.
Since 2008, 20 Linde plants in North America have been certified under the program. The Selkirk plant is the third to be audited this year, with one additional plant scheduled for audit before the end of the year to maintain membership in ACC.
The Selkirk plant is located just south of Albany and has been in operation since 1976. The plant separates air cryogenically to produce 650 tons per day of atmospheric gases (oxygen, nitrogen and argon). A carbon dioxide depot is also located at the site. From the plant, the gases are delivered to electronics, food, medical, beverage, plastics and welding customers in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. The plant employs 27 people.
John Cox, supply area manager, said, "I am very proud of everyone who worked so hard to achieve this milestone. Responsible Care Certification is a valued acknowledgement of all our efforts and commitment to be a leading company in our industry. It further demonstrates our continued drive to become and remain a high performance organization with a focus on the safety and health of our employees, customers and neighbors."
The Responsible Care management system offers an integrated, structured approach for driving continual improvement in seven key areas: community awareness and emergency response; security; distribution; employee health and safety; pollution prevention; process safety; and product stewardship.
Implementing the Responsible Care system is a multi-step process. Companies must first plan - identify, assess and evaluate potential hazards and risks associated with their products, processes and operations - and establish goals and objectives to address any significant hazards or risks. Next, they must do what they have planned, checking their progress along the way to measure performance and take necessary corrective actions. Communicating with employees and other stakeholders, including neighbors and customers, along the way also is essential.
The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 50,000 people working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2010 financial year, it achieved sales of EUR 12.9 billion (USD 17.9 billion). The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.
Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, visit Linde North America online at www.lindeus.com.
