Year: 2021

The CGA sent a letter to all 50 state governors asking that essential workers be prioritized in vaccine distribution By Rich Gottwald and Steve Guglielmo On December 23, 2020, the Compressed Gas Association sent a letter from CGA President & CEO Rich Gottwald to all 50 U.S. governors and the Mayor of Washington, D.C. urging that portions of the essential medical, food, and industrial gas workforce be included in each state’s Frontline Essential Workers (Phase 1b) prioritization to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the CGA has been an indispensable resource for the compressed gas industry. Its COVID-19 Industry…

2021 will see the return of two Regional Meetings after all were postponed in 2020. The 2021 Spring Management Conference and Annual Convention will not be the only opportunities for GAWDA members to network and learn in-person in 2021. After all the 2020 Regional Meetings were postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19, this year will see the return of the Northwest Regional Meeting in Sunriver, Oregon, from July 21-23, and the Seven Springs Regional Meeting in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, from August 24-26. Previously scheduled Regional Meetings in League City, Texas (Southwest Region), Galloway, New Jersey (Northeast Region), and Oregon, Ohio…

Professionalism, Productiveness, and Safety How DeLille Oxygen’s three-tiered system has allowed the distributor to thrive for nearly a century. DeLille Oxygen Company was founded in 1924 by W.C. DeLille. Originally, DeLille supplied coal and ice. However, shortly after its founding, DeLille shifted its focus to the welding supply industry, becoming a supplier of gases and hardgoods to the industry the company still serves nearly a century later. As the company found success in the gases and welding industry, W.C. DeLille continued to grow the company’s footprint. He added multiple locations throughout Ohio and continued to service different areas of the…

We’re all living through unprecedented times. On a Zoom call with a large California distributor, I learned that, with four employees out with COVID, one owner was driving a route truck and the other was manning a branch store. Sound familiar? The pandemic has forced us all to be more flexible. The need for new safety protocols and innovative ways of dealing with everything from employee absenteeism to supply chain outages and customer closures, have left us struggling to maintain effective operations. On top of the extraordinary pandemic events, the long-term outlook for traditional distributors continues to be under threat.…

As GAWDA members know, medical oxygen has played an essential role in delivering patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some therapies require large quantities of oxygen or its use in areas of health care facilities not designed for oxygen use, which can create oxygen-enriched atmospheres containing greater than 23.5% oxygen. Although oxygen itself does not burn, in oxygen-enriched atmospheres, materials can be easily ignited by ignition sources such as friction, open flames, heated surgical equipment, or electrical equipment. To avoid incidents involving oxygen and oxygen-enriched atmospheres, it is important that health care personnel handling and using these gases and associated…

Machine guarding isn’t confined to machine presses and rollers. Within our own facilities, we have equipment that must be guarded. Some examples of equipment that should be guarded include: exhaust fans, safety stops for blasting machine doors, belt drives and grinding equipment. Guards must: Protect against contact. Be secured to the machine. Ensure that no object can fall into the moving parts. Guards should not create additional hazards or interfere with machine performance. In addition to mechanical guarding, grounding electrical equipment is one of the most important safety measures. Grounding should be applied to the entire system and each individual…

Here are what the bullets stand for: =  Hanging File Folders (retention period)   = Manila File Folders (retention period) Here are the files and the suggested tab titles: DOT Filing System Table of Contents (place this sheet in the file) MCS-150 (current information) MCS-90 (current) Hazmat Registration (3 years) Unified Carrier Registration (only if CMVs in interstate commerce) (3 years) List of Drivers (current) List of Commercial Motor Vehicles (current) Accident Register Accident Register (3-year retention) Accident Register and Accident Report Forms (blank forms) DOT Accidents (place actual DOT accidents into separate manila folders) Company Policy regarding Alcohol &…

By Tom Badstubner, Marilyn Dempsey, Michael Dodd, Rick Schweitzer and Steve Guglielmo In the First Quarter 2021 issue of Welding & Gases Today¸ GAWDA’s consultants discussed how the incoming Biden administration may differ from the outgoing Trump administration. Now that the new Congress and White House have assumed power and cabinet secretaries continue to be confirmed and policy proposals start to take shape, the consultants revisited the topic of how a new ruling party could impact the day-to-day business of GAWDA members. Thank you to Tom Badstubner, GAWDA’s FDA and Medical Gases Consultant, Marilyn Dempsey, DHS, EPS and OSHA Consultant,…

Senate Republicans Reveal Streamlined Infrastructure Package.  In response to President Biden’s $2.25 billion infrastructure plan, Senate Republicans have unveiled a smaller five-year $568 billion package. The Republican framework would include:  · $299 billion for highways and bridges; · $61 billion for public transit; · $20 billion for rail, including Amtrak; · $35 billion for drinking water and wastewater; · $13 billion for safety programs at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; · $17 billion for ports and inland waterways; · $44 billion for airports; · $65 for broadband…

The Compressed Gas Association (CGA) announced the winners of our industry-leading safety awards during the CGA 2021 Annual Meeting. Held virtually on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, the Annual CGA Safety Awards Presentation recognized safety leaders from across the compressed gas industry in the U.S. and Canada. Our Association is dedicated to the development and promotion of safety standards and safe practices in the industrial, medical, and food gases industry. We’re proud to recognize the dedication to safety exhibited by the companies and individuals honored this year. Environmental Recognition Awards The Environmental Recognition Awards, sponsored by Messer North America, are presented…