Linde's Alabama plant receives Responsible Care® Certification

MURRAY HILL, N.J. and NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J., March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Linde LLC has been recommended for certification of its Birmingham, Alabama, air separation plant under the American Chemistry Council's ("ACC's") Responsible Care® program.

Linde LLC 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.

Brian Blair, Linde Supply Area Manager, said, "Achieving Responsible Care Certification is a key recognition of the cumulative effort the Birmingham team has demonstrated on the 'Journey to Excellence.' In my 18 months with Linde, I am continually impressed with the spirit and commitment of the Birmingham team to succeed when faced with critical business challenges. They fundamentally value working safely while meeting the needs of all Linde stakeholders."

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 Birmingham plant has been operating for 20 years producing and delivering oxygen, nitrogen and argon for customers in Alabama and six surrounding states. The customers include steel producers, hospital systems, U.S. military installations, NASA, as well as food and beverage producers and metal fabricators throughout seven states. Linde employs 36 people at the plant.

Tim Wren, head of safety, health, environment and quality for Linde North America, said, "The employees at the Birmingham 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.

The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 62,000 employees in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2012 financial year, Linde generated revenue of EUR 15.280 bn (USD 19.9 bn). The strategy of the 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. The company is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com

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SOURCE Linde North America

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