We at the Compressed Gas Association are excited to announce the availability of new eLearning modules, which participating GAWDA members can access for free. These modules provide a modern training method for introducing basic safety information to new industry employees across a range of topics, including the safe handling of compressed gases, acetylene cylinders and cryogenic liquids in portable containers.
First launched in 2011, the partnership between GAWDA and the Compressed Gas Association provides participating GAWDA distributor members with complimentary access to CGA’s electronic safety publication library (enabling one employee per company location to gain free access to CGA’s library of over 330 electronic publications for a total value of more than $18,000 per user). In addition, these GAWDA members qualify for CGA member pricing on hard copy publications, the CGA Handbook of Compressed Gases and safety videos.
In 2019, we added a new benefit to this program — free access to CGA’s eLearning modules for up to 15 employees per company location.
The eLearning portal provides users with a variety of interactive experiences as they work through each module, assesses user comprehension of material and allows supervisors to track user completion. These modules can be completed at the user’s convenience (individuals can close the training and return at a later date to the same place where they left off).
CGA’s eLearning Modules Cover a Growing Variety of Safety Topics
Topics covered in the first phase of eLearning modules are listed below.
- TM-1, Safe Handling and Storage of Compressed Gases, covers the following major areas of compressed gas safety:
- Cylinder and container examples and markings
- Equipment examples
- Understanding labels, symbols and product classification
- Moving and storing cylinders and containers
- Connecting and using cylinders and containers
- Emergency response and site security
TM-2, Safe Handling of Acetylene Cylinders, provides an overview of the following:
- Acetylene properties and characteristics
- Acetylene cylinders and equipment
- Acetylene cylinder storage, handling and use
TM-3, Safe Handling of Cryogenic Liquids in Portable Containers, provides an overview of the following areas related to cryogenic liquids:
- Properties and characteristics
- Containers and equipment
- Safe storage, handling and use
We are also actively working with GAWDA to select additional topics for future modules as we continue to develop this exciting new resource. Current topics under development include:
- Filling of Industrial Gas Cylinders
- Filling of Medical Gas Cylinders
- Filling of Carbon Dioxide (Liquefied Gas) Cylinders
How to Get Access to CGA’s eLearning Modules for Your Team
Want to give your employees access to this powerful eLearning resource?
Sign up to participate in the cooperative program between GAWDA and CGA. To be eligible for this unique member benefit, your company:
Must be a GAWDA distributor member in good standing
Must participate in the CGA & GAWDA Distributor Reporting and Safety Awards Program (requires annual submission of OSHA 300A safety data to CGA — for all companies with 10 or more employees)
Must not be a former member of CGA with a membership termination date later than Oct. 10, 2011
CGA & GAWDA Prestigious Safety Awards Program
Launched in 2012, the CGA & GAWDA Distributor Safety Reporting and Awards Program promotes safety awareness as an extension of the missions of both associations. All GAWDA distributor members are encouraged to join the more than 80 companies currently participating.
Each year, these awards honor the participating GAWDA distributor member companies that have shown the greatest improvement in safety performance.
Any GAWDA distributor member company that reports its annual occupational injury and illness experience for gas-related operations in the award year and the previous four consecutive years is eligible to compete for an award. The award may be broken into categories based on employee exposure hours of participating companies. Separate awards may be given to the winners in each category.
Representatives of CGA and GAWDA will present the awards at the GAWDA annual conference, and then at the subsequent CGA annual meeting. For example, awards covering the year 2018 will be presented first at the 2019 GAWDA Annual Conference, and then again at the 2020 CGA Annual Meeting.
Participating companies submit award data to CGA for calculation of the winners. Individual company data is held in strict confidence and is not shared with any person outside of CGA staff. In order to monitor overall industry safety improvement, aggregate data representing all submitters by category may be shared, but no individual company’s data will be shared without express written permission from an authorized representative.
How to Sign Up
Interested GAWDA distributor members may apply for this program any time to gain access to CGA eLearning modules and publications. If your company has 10 employees or more, you will also be required to submit your safety data on the following schedule:
Renewing companies must submit their data by January 31 for uninterrupted access to CGA benefits and for award consideration
First-time participants must submit their data for award consideration by May 1
To apply, you will need to submit the subscriber registration form and the distributor safety award reporting form to [email protected]. If you have questions about the application process, please contact CGA staff member Mike Federovich at 703-788-2722.
Accessing CGA’s eLearning Modules
Once your company has successfully signed up for the CGA subscription program, you will need to apply for access to the eLearning modules. Participating GAWDA members may navigate to the CGA member site at https://portal.cganet.com, click on Publications, then search by the training module ID (e.g., TM-1) or filter on Video & Training Materials. Select the desired module, then select Initiate E-Learning on the publication detail page.
CGA staff will then enroll users in the training program and send instructions for accessing the module within one business day. Once registered, users will have access to each training module for 90 days.
