Sign Up Today to Get this Invaluable Training Resource for your Employees (Free for Participating GAWDA Members)
Here at the Compressed Gas Association, we’re focused on developing safety standards that reflect industry best practices for handling industrial, medical and food gases, in as safe and effective a manner as possible. Our members who write these standards leverage in-depth knowledge and have many years of experience in understanding the hazards of these gases. They know how best to mitigate them – all with the goal of keeping everyone who comes into contact with these products as safe as possible.
We recognize, however, that some of our standards can be technically dense, and somewhat intimidating, for those who are new to the subject matter.
That’s why we created our family of eLearning modules – to provide essential safety information for entry level and intermediate workers in the industry. Think of these training modules as animated Power Point presentations that explore simple concepts presented in a concise, easy-to-follow format. In essence, these eLearning modules are designed to provide a helpful roadmap for employees who may need more extensive coaching in how to safely handle and work with compressed gases.
CGA’s 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 also be completed at the user’s convenience (individuals can close the training and return at a later date, picking up where they left off).
CGA’s eLearning Modules Offer an Invaluable Training Asset for GAWDA Members
Earlier this year, we announced that our eLearning modules had become the latest benefit added to the CGA-GAWDA partnership. GAWDA distributor member companies participating in the CGA subscription program receive complimentary access to CGA’s entire 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 $19,000 per user). In addition, GAWDA members now also gain free access to CGA’s eLearning modules for up to 15 employees per company location.
Here’s what one of our members had to say about the value and impact of our first set of eLearning modules, released in 2018:
“Your three new training modules are [of] exceptional quality, useful for safety awareness for entry-level and intermediate employees, and ‘first of its kind’ in the compressed gas industry to our knowledge… We have not seen ANYTHING available even close to your quality and breadth of coverage from any source we have explored for years…
When I have made proposals to well-known safety training groups, to create compressed gas training, and I have provided just a skeleton outline of what we need, the price has been $25,000-$50,000, with $3,000-$5,000 per year to keep current.”
This individual also shared with us that in relation to one training module in particular, TM-3, Safe Handling of Cryogenic Liquids in Portable Containers, an employee of theirs “with 30 years of shipping [experience] seeing spills and accidents,” reported that they were still able to learn something new about cryogenic liquefied gases from CGA’s TM-3 training module.
We’re Adding three More Titles to Our Growing eLearning Library
There are now five training modules in CGA’s eLearning library, with a sixth module to be released during fall 2019.
We just released our two most recent eLearning titles:
TM-4, Filling of Uninsulated Carbon Dioxide Cylinders (intended for cylinder fillers and handlers, this training covers the following areas):
- Carbon dioxide properties and hazards
- Cylinder filler personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Types of cylinders and valves commonly used
- Cylinder markings
- Pre-fill cylinder inspection
- Preparation of cylinders for filling
- Filling cylinders
- Handling and storing full cylinders
TM-5, Filling of High Pressure Medical Oxygen Cylinders (intended for cylinder fillers and handlers, this presentation covers the following topics):
- Oxygen properties and hazards
- Cylinder filler qualification and training
- Cylinder filler personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Cylinder and valve types
- Cylinder markings
- Prefill cylinder inspection
- Filling cylinders
- Labeling
- Documentation
- Handling and storing of full cylinders
In addition, the following eLearning module is scheduled to be released before the end of 2019:
TM-6, Filling of High Pressure Industrial Gas Cylinders (provides material to help in training operators to fill industrial gas cylinders safely and properly; this presentation covers the following topics):
- Atmospheric gases (argon, nitrogen, oxygen) properties and hazards
- Cylinder filler qualification and training
- Cylinder filler personal protective equipment or PPE
- Cylinder and valve types
- Cylinder markings
- Prefill cylinder inspection
- Filling cylinders
- Labeling
- Documentation
- Handling and storing of full cylinders
Our first three eLearning modules, published in 2018, cover the following topics:
TM-1, Safe Handling and Storage of Compressed Gases (covers the following major areas of compressed gas safety):
- Cylinder and container examples
- Cylinder and container markings
- Equipment examples
- Understanding labels, symbols or pictograms, and product classification
- Moving and storing cylinders and containers
- Connecting and using cylinders and containers
- Emergency response and site security
- Regulations and additional references
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
In the coming months, we will continue to work with our colleagues at GAWDA to identify additional topics for future modules, as we further develop this exciting industry training resource.
How to Get Access to CGA’s eLearning Modules for Your Team
Want to give your employees access to this powerful eLearning library? 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, and
- 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 11 or more employees)
If you work for a GAWDA distributor member and would like to learn more about how to apply to have your company participate in this valuable program, and access CGA’s eLearning training modules, check out these links:
- CGA Website: portal.cganet.com/GAWDA.aspx.
- GAWDA Website: gawda.org/resources/cga-subscription-program/.
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 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 eLearning on the publication detail page.
CGA staff will then enroll users in the training and send instructions for accessing the module within one business day. Once registered, users will have access to each training module for 90 days.
The CGA and GAWDA partnership continues to grow and flourish. Be sure to take advantage of these valuable tools for your company.
