Oct 12 2012
Linde North America has received certification of its Coffeyville, Kansas, air separation 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 ACC is an association of producers, manufacturers and suppliers of chemical products. Linde has been a member of the ACC since 1951.
Randy Post, Coffeyville area supply manager, said, "The ACC certification validates Linde's commitment to its employees, its customers, and the community. In addition, it showcases the pride and professionalism of the local operations staff as well as the regional staff."
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, 23 Linde plants in North America have been certified under the program.
The Coffeyville plant has been operating for 13 years and produces oxygen, nitrogen and argon for fertilizer manufacturers, hospitals, metal fabricators and food processors in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. Linde employs 22 people at the plant.
Tim Wren, head of safety, health, environment and quality for Linde North America, said, "The employees at the Coffeyville 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."
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.