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…

The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce announced their 2021 Small Business Award Winners. Central McGowan President/CEO Joe Francis was named Small Business Owner of the Year. The Chamber of Commerce said: “Since becoming President/CEO of Central McGowan in 2016, Francis has lead the company through a number of expansions and acquisitions. He has doubled the number of employees and diversified the business from industrial gasses to custom automation, robotics and dry ice. He is the Small Business Owner of the Year.”

According to the CGA: After many years of discussion between the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) and Health Canada, it was recently announced that common medical gases and medical gas mixtures in Canada will no longer require labeling with an expiration date. Specifically, Health Canada will no longer require medical gas manufacturers of the following gases and their medically appropriate mixtures to have expiration dating on their product labels: oxygen, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, medical air, and nitrous oxide. Health Canada issued its Notice to Stakeholders: Expiration Dating for Medical Gases on March 23, 2021, to communicate the Department’s interim approach on the…

President Biden Announces $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan.  Last week President Biden announced his “American Jobs Plan” to spend over $2 trillion in an eight-year period on infrastructure and other projects.  The plan, which has not been introduced in Congress or even reduced to actual legislative language, includes a number of proposals that Democrats have long sought. The plan includes a total increase of $115 billion to modernize the bridges, highways, roads, and streets that are in most critical need of repair. According to the White House, this includes funding to improve air quality, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce congestion. …

Noble Gas Solutions, a family-owned industrial gas and welding supply company that has been a staple in the Capital Region for more than 80 years, today announced its expansion to Glens Falls. Located at 15 Third Street in South Glens Falls, this facility will be the third location for the industrial gas and welding supplier. The 6,000 square-foot space is comprised of a storefront retail area, as well as offices and warehouse space to store medical, specialty, industrial and consumer gases. “We are excited to finish renovations and give this new location the Noble touch,” said J. David Mahoney, President…

According to a press release from Butler Gas Products: We have some exciting new updates to share regarding our New Brighton location, which is home to our acetylene manufacturing facility. The New Brighton store will be open to the public Monday through Friday, beginning on March 8th, from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM, followed by daily exclusive access for business accounts with will-call-only from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM.  Will-call appointments can be arranged by calling (724) 847-2065 and speaking with John Proano, Account Executive and New Brighton Sales Manager. We are thrilled to announce the promotion of our New…

DOT Secretary Testifies on Infrastructure Priorities.  Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testified on March 25 before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on the administration’s priorities for infrastructure legislation. The secretary’s testimony did not include any specifics on the administration’s approach to transportation infrastructure programs or how to finance them.  (President Biden separately said that the administration’s infrastructure package will be made available March 31.)  But Secretary Buttigieg said that the country faces a trillion dollar backlog of needed repairs and improvements in infrastructure. The prepared testimony and response to questions from committee members had repeated themes of addressing…

GAWDA extends its condolences to the friends and family of Ron Pierce, who passed away on Thursday, March 18, at the age of 87. Ron was a former president of AWS and served as Chairman Emeritus of the AWS Foundation. His obituary can be read in full below: Ronald Carter Pierce, 87, a resident of Daphne suddenly passed away on Thursday, March 18, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 66 years Joyce A. Pierce of Daphne, AL; four children, Jeffery (Rhonda) Pierce of Pensacola, FL, Judy (Bill) Miller of Gulf Breeze, FL, Gregory (Sabrina) Pierce of Daphne, AL,…

FMCSA Hosts Analysis, Research and Technology Forum.  On March 10, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration hosted its annual Analysis, Research and Technology Forum to highlight the agency’s ongoing research and analysis dedicated to improving motor carrier safety. The forum heard presentations from FMCSA staff on trends in commercial motor vehicle safety, agency enforcement efforts, policies on automated commercial motor vehicles, and FMCSA research activities supporting those efforts. The FMCSA Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics was referenced as a source for data on truck inspections, operational mileage and crashes by type.  The guide also includes the most…

Red Ball Oxygen honored employees who came to the rescue during the winter weather emergencies. For their handwork, Red Ball awarded them its Winning with Teamwork Award. These employees represents the true spirit of teamwork and how dedicated Red Ball is to its customers and to one another.