Linde's North Carolina Electronics Gases Plant Receives Responsible Care Certification

Murray Hill, NY and New Providence, NJ /PRNewswire/ - Linde LLC has received certification of its Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, electronics gases plant under the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care® program.

Terrance Caldwell, RTP plant manager, said, "The personnel at the RTP plant are very proud to have achieved Responsible Care certification. As Linde has been a member of the American Chemistry Council for over 60 years, this recent certification demonstrates a continued commitment to safety, community awareness and regulatory compliance. Association with the ACC and the Responsible Care management system program, along with established Linde standards, provide meaningful structure to our business practices and demonstrates the level of our commitment to the pledge that The Linde Group will avoid harm to its people, society and the environment."  

The RTP plant has been operating since 1986 producing semiconductor materials, high purity inert gases (argon, helium and nitrogen), nitrous oxide and isotopes for high-tech companies and semiconductor manufacturers around the world. RTP is also responsible for managing gases inventories in Ireland and China for a major semiconductor manufacturer. Linde employs 50 people at the plant

Holly Jerdi, head of Health, Safety and Environment for Linde North America, said, "Our colleagues at RTP are to be congratulated for meeting the very challenging criteria for this prestigious certification. Their expertise, hard work and diligence fall right in line with our goals as a high performance organization and our vision to be the leading gases and engineering company."

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.

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, 25 Linde plants inNorth America have been certified under the program.

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.

About Linde North America, Inc.
Linde North America, Inc., is a member of The Linde Group. In the 2014 financial year, The Linde Group generated revenue of  USD 17.9 bn (EUR 17.047 bn), making it the largest gases and engineering company in the world with approximately 65,500 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. 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. 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