At Linde, we know that customers expect a lot more than just the right products and services at the right prices. We also have a duty to advocate for the safe use of our products - whether that be gases delivered in cylinders, dewars or bulk tanks, or our gas supply, control and regulation equipment. Consequently, we are deeply committed to preventing harm to people, the environment and the communities in which we operate as a result of using, storing or transporting our gases. Under the umbrella of our comprehensive Corporate Responsibility (CR) program, we have developed an extensive Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) policy to protect the interests of our customers, employees, partners and society at large. The overarching goal of our rigorous product stewardship policy is “zero incidents and injuries”.
We achieve this by identifying, evaluating and mitigating safety, health and environmental hazards that our products could potentially pose at different stages of the lifecycle - from research and development through manufacturing, storage, transport, retail and usage to recycling or disposal. Guided by the principles of responsible care, we always seek to go beyond minimum legislative requirements.
Key elements in our product stewardship program include:
We also expect people working for our partner and contractor companies to adhere to strict HSE standards at all times.
At the same time, we have a duty to ensure that our operations have minimal or no adverse effects on human health or the environment. At all of our production and administration sites worldwide, we continually strive to further improve the quality and safety of our products and services, and to minimize the environmental footprint of our operations. This includes the responsible use of natural resources, the development of clean technologies, and the replacement of harmful substances with more ecologically friendly alternatives. We track progress in this area by reporting on key environmental indicators.
The occupational health and safety of our employees is a core value at Linde. Our global, integrated management system helps us achieve this goal by embedding health and safety into our daily operations. One of the cornerstones of our HSE policy, for instance, is the reduction or elimination of work-related illnesses, injuries and incidents. Our basic tenets stipulate that all of our people must:
Our proactive culture and Zero Today goal also extend to you, our customers. It is our aim to assist you in meeting your legal and safety responsibilities in any way we can. This starts by helping you understand the properties and potential hazards of gases in different supply modes. Even gases such as oxygen and nitrogen, which we breathe every day, can be problematic if they are not handled properly. We can also help you put proactive best practices in place to safeguard your employees.
Our concrete assistance in this area includes practical guidelines, legislative updates, safety data sheets, safety audits and dedicated training packages. Contact your local Linde representative to check what is available in your region.
Complementing the above, we also offer preventive maintenance contracts, where we perform regular inspections of your pressurized gas distribution system to help you meet your uptime and safety targets. In addition, we supply gas certificates documenting the quality control and analysis of the gases and gas mixtures we supply so your employees know they are working with the precise gases in the precise purities they need. For more information, contact your local Linde representative.
Another key area where many customers appreciate our advice and help is in the area of legislative compliance. Many laws and regulations have been introduced in recent years to give industry greater responsibility in the handling of chemicals. Not only do we comply in full with all international, national and regional laws plus our internal product stewardship standards, we can also help you to do so. We offer general advice plus country-specific resources such as dedicated training sessions, audits and assessments to help you comply with the regulations that apply to your line of business. These could include:
We can help you understand and comply with your registration and communication (Safety Data Sheets, labelling, pictograms, etc.) obligations under REACH and CLP. Contact your local Linde representative.
Not only do we actively seek to lower the carbon footprint of our own operations worldwide, we also deliver technologies and gases that help you, our customers, to minimize - or even better, eliminate - hazardous emissions. Our gases and technologies enable you to achieve your ecological targets in a number of ways. We can help you optimize your processes, replace hazardous substances with gases, and minimize the direct and indirect environmental impact resulting from the use of our products. Discover examples of applications and solutions that can help you strengthen your environmental protection policy.
As you can see from the above, a proactive HSE mindset is firmly embedded into every link of our value chain. For our own sake. And for yours.
Understand the key properties and hazards of various industrial gases so you can transport, store, handle and use them safely
Browse information, advice and practical resources so you can handle and transport dangerous substances as safely as possible
Discover how we - driven by our Zero Today goal - are actively advocating for best practices in gas handling and cylinder care
Discover how we are helping customers to identify the potential asphyxiation hazards of industrial gases and to put good safety practices in place
Tap into our extensive repository of safety data sheets with information on potential hazards, safe handling and storage of our products