Linde's Utah Hydrogen Plant Receives Responsible Care Certification
Share:
Murray Hill & New Providence, New Jersey, U.S., November 21, 2011 - Linde in North America has received certification of its Salt Lake City, Utah, hydrogen plant under the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care® program.
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 Salt Lake City plant are to be congratulated for the great job they did handling all the details associated with ACC's Responsible Care certification. Their efforts have helped place 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, 19 Linde plants in North America have been certified under the program. The Salt Lake City plant is the second to be audited this year, with two additional plants scheduled for audit before the end of the year.
The Linde hydrogen plant at Salt Lake City has been in operation since 2006 and produces 26 million cubic feet per day of hydrogen. Linde supplies both hydrogen and steam by pipeline to refineries in the Salt Lake valley, including Chevron, Tesoro, Silver Eagle, Big West and Holly. Linde employs seven people at the Salt Lake City site.
Salt Lake City plant manager, Aaron Perry, said, "This ACC certification is affirmation of the site's commitment to safety, the environment and the community. It is the ultimate positive feedback to our behavior at the Salt Lake City plant."
The Responsible Care management system offers an integrated, structured approach for driving continuous 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 employees 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.
