Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, launched a worldwide safety programme to improve the safe storage and transportation of acetylene cylinders by customers.
“Safety is the number one priority for Linde – both that of our customers and our employees – and it is a fundamental cornerstone of Linde’s approach to corporate responsibility”, said John Romer, head of Cylinder Process Safety and Standards, Linde.
From this month, Linde begins an awareness and education initiative with the aim of mitigating injuries and fatalities of its acetylene gas users globally. Linde’s worldwide retail outlets will begin fitting disposable plastic valve protection caps on unprotected acetylene cylinder valves and will encourage customers to properly restrain and ventilate cylinders in their vehicles. A communication campaign on the hazards of improper transportation and storage and the ways to prevent accidents will also be delivered directly to customers through the retail and distribution centres, in addition to letters sent to individual customers. Linde will also be providing further acetylene safety training to all its customer-facing gas retailers and working closely with trade associations and industry bodies such as the European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA) to encourage maximum observance of the new safety guidelines.
