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Our Commitment to SHEQ

Safety: priority no.1, always and everywhere

Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) are hardwired throughout The Linde Group. Every person within The Linde Group assumes responsibility for their actions. Our SHEQ policies shape the way we behave and every decision we make.


SHEQ Management Systems Environment Quality management HACCP HiQ® accreditations and certificates of analysis Product stewardship Safety services

SHEQ Management Systems

Managing Safety, Health, Environment and Quality concerns in a holistic way across the entire Linde Group

Our management system is a comprehensive framework of policies, tools, audits and processes that governs all of our activities in all areas. It incorporates legislative requirements and Group policies as well as international standards such as IS0 9001, 14001 and ISO 22000

  • SHEQ Roadmap
    Our “LeadIng. in SHEQ” programme is designed to push SHEQ performance and awareness across The Linde Group worldwide. In 2009, we introduced a new method of evaluating our progress in this area - the SHEQ Roadmap. This strategic tool defines the twentyone key milestones on the road to world-class SHEQ performance.

  • LeadSafe & ActSafe: Visible leadership + Behaviour
    LeadSafe & ActSafe behavioural assessments provide forums for discussing safety issues. They focus on how people behave in real work situations and encourage participants to discuss the consequences of their actions, change their behaviour and reach mutual consensus. LeadSafe encourages managers to display visible leadership by promoting safety and showing concern for the health and the safety of others.

  • Safety Toolbox meetings
    Safety toolbox meetings provide regular forums for teams to discuss, address and raise safety issues. They are organised at least once a month and involve all team members.

  • Contractor Management
    Our high safety standards also apply to contractors working on behalf of Linde. We apply a series of internal standards across the Group to closely coordinate contractors and ensure compliance with our SHEQ Policy.

  • External transport contractors
    Transport is a particularly safety-critical area. We have our own internal standards governing key safety measures which we implement rigorously across the Group to reduce the frequency of transport incidents. Contractors are selected by measuring their performance against a set of key performance indicators. The results of these audits are submitted to the steering committee in an annual SHEQ Review.

  • Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP, gevarenanalyse en kritische controlepunten)
    Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is a systematic approach aimed at identifying and preventing risks in food safety. It comprises seven principles that establish a framework for identifying and eliminating potential hazards at all stages of food production, preparation and distribution. The system focuses on prevention rather than end product inspection. Linde has implemented and regularly updates its HACCP operational and infrastructural programmes in line with European requirements. Analyses are performed in collaboration with specialists and skilled technicians from each field. Linde’s HACCP strategy is reassessed and updated at least once a year during the Group’s annual food and beverages review.

  • Hazard & Operability Study (HAZOP)
    A HAZOP study is the structured, systematic evaluation of existing or planned processes and operations. It assesses the potential dangers and operational issues which may arise from hazards. We use HAZOP studies to re-examine safety and operability specifications for installations and to ensure that these specifications provide secure and economic operational conditions that conform to legal and contractual requirements.

  • HSE (Health, safety, Environment) Monitoring
    To prevent and eliminate hazards, we constantly have to widen our knowledge base and keep up to speed on the risks inherent in our business. We deploy a range of methods to identify and prevent potential dangers, including: - Ongoing hazard assessments studies, risk analyses (HAZOP) - External and internal audits, including evacuation exercises for sites subject to SEVESO industrial safety regulations - Feedback following incidents

  • Major Hazard Review Programme (MHRP)
    Risks that our plants might pose to employees and any neighbouring companies or people living in the vicinity must be systematically identified and evaluated and mitigated. We have rolled out a management system, the Major Hazards Review Programme (MHRP), across the entire Group for this purpose. Its objectives include identifying maximum potential hazards and managing them effectively as well as measuring risks on a uniform basis for all locations and introducing controls that minimise these risks as far as possible.

  • Training
    We are committed to raising awareness and promoting responsible behaviour among all of our people. We have developed dedicated training modules for this purpose within the framework of our SHEQ policy. Our training opportunities for employees cover a wide range of issues including LeadSafe assessments, working at height, electricity accreditations, prevention plans, work permits, safety driving and stress management. We also hold safety training sessions for customers.

  • Audits
    Regular audits verify and document our SHEQ performance. They relate to all elements of our business activities such as management systems, process safety, driver and vehicle operation, etc. In addition to audits carried out within the framework of ISO certification and beyond, we also assess our consumption of natural resources. We developed software, for instance, to optimise transport routes and reduce the number of kilometres our vehicles travel each year. Every site in The Linde Group reports its environmental performance. This information is consolidated and published in our Annual Report. We also perform HSE audits and HACCP surveys as well as transport and contractor audits every year at all of our sites. We use the results of these checks to create action plans.

  • Traceability
    We have developed an extensive management system that enables us to fully trace all of our. Each product, cylinder or bulk unit is assigned a batch number which enables us to identify the raw materials used in production, the production date and location as well as the customers who purchased the product. All cylinders are equipped with a bar-code for easy traceability

  • Customer satisfaction
    We continually strive to improve our performance and raise customer satisfaction levels. To do this, we systematically channel the results of internal and external audits, customer feedback, quality projects, product recalls, accidents and incidents into a range of preventive and corrective measures.

  • Life saving rules
    The aim of these rules is to prevent serious injuries and fatalities, and to support the journey towards a LeadIng. SHEQ performance and culture. The life saving rules are based on incidents and experiences in our company and also reflect legal and regulatory requirements that apply in many of the countries in which Linde operates.

  • Statistics and LFI
    Linde benchmarks several indicators of SHEQ performance. Lagging ones including incident rates for employees and driving activities, emissions , noise levels, waste disposal, lost time injury rates (LTIR) as well as leading ones, e.g. management involvement, audits, corrective actions and feedback from incidents.

    • LTI (Lost time Incident Rates)
    • RWI (Recordable Work Injuries)
    • Illness Cases (work related)
    • Audit performance vs. plan
    • Environmental data
    • LFI (Lessons from Incidents)

Caring for the Environment

Not only do we actively seek to minimise the carbon footprint of our own operations worldwide, we also deliver technologies and gases that help you, our customers, minimise – or even eliminate – hazardous emissions

At all of our production and administration sites worldwide, we are constantly looking at ways to minimise the environmental impact of our operations. Within the Gases Division, we track progress in this area by reporting on key environmental indicators. Specific activities include:

  • Measures to cut energy consumption
  • Reduction of direct and indirect greenhouse gas and other air emissions
  • Waste management
  • Eco-friendly management of water consumption and wastewater disposal
  • Reduction of materials consumption (metal, packaging materials)

Our gases and technologies help you achieve your ecological targets in a number of ways. Not only do we help optimise your processes, we also deliver applications to minimise the direct and indirect environmental impact resulting from the use of our products. Discover examples of applications and solutions that can help you implement your environmental protection policy.


Quality Management

Improving our performance all the time through a rigorous quality management programme

We are committed to continuously improving the quality of our products and services, while at the same time maintaining high levels of occupational safety, health and environmental protection.

Consistently high gas quality is a top priority in the Gases Division. Our locations are certified to DIN EN ISO 9001 and a number of other norms. We ensure that all filling stations and production facilities of a similar type are operated in line with uniform specifications, ensuring that our customers always receive uniform quality from every Linde production site.

Specific locations such as cylinder maintenance centres and electronic gases plants are certified in line with tailored quality assurance systems. At locations that produce gases used as food additives (food-grade gases), we comply with the applicable quality standards (DIN EN ISO 22000).


HACCP

Analysing hazards to maintain the highest safety standards along the entire food chain

HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) is a systematic approach aimed at identifying and preventing risks in food safety. It comprises seven principles that establish a framework for identifying and eliminating potential hazards at all stages of food production, preparation and distribution.

Linde has implemented and regularly updates its HACCP operational and infrastructural programmes in line with European requirements. Analyses are performed in collaboration with specialists and skilled technicians from each field. Linde’s HACCP strategy is reassessed and updated at least once a year during the Group’s annual food and beverages review.


HiQ® accreditations and certificates of analysis

Certifying quality to give our customers the guarantee of complete precision

Gas mixtures at all Linde Gas production and laboratory facilities are subject to professional, stringent quality checks and analyses. These audits yield accurate results and all information presented on the certificates of analysis are correct and easy to understand.

Certificates of analysis
Linde Gas operates in line with the latest version of ISO 6141, the standard that defines the information required for certificates of analysis. All of our gas products undergo quality assessments. Our gases and gas mixtures are awarded HiQ® certificates of analysis where applicable. If a certificate of analysis is not supplied as standard, we will include it in the delivery or send it by post on request.

Our HiQ certificates of analysis contain a range of information including:

  • The date of the analyses
  • The name of the Linde Gas employee who carried out the analyses
  • The order number
  • The unique cylinder number
  • The contents of the cylinder and the connection
  • A unique certificate of analysis number
  • A summary containing the following details:

    • The composition of the gas that was ordered
    • The analysis result showing the actual composition of the gas
    • Analytical accuracy
    • Blend tolerance
    • Stability period

The concentration of the components in the gas cylinder will remain within the values detailed on the certificate of analysis until the specified minimum pressure has been reached.

Accreditations
All cylinder filling sites and laboratories at Linde Gas operate in accordance with ISO 9001/9002. Linde Gas also has other cylinder filling sites across Europe with accredited laboratories for various gases and concentrations, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, propane and oxygen in nitrogen and/or air. The specialty gases plant in Munich for example is accredited according to ISO 17025, general requirement to the competence for testing and calibration laboratories. The central analytical department in Munich is even accredited according to ISO guide 34. This fulfils the general requirements for the competence of reference material producers.

Accreditation organisations reinforce consumer trust in the quality of a product or service through independent, expert monitoring. Accreditation confirms and clarifies the value of certificates and laboratory results. Accreditation organisations assess management systems and technical competence. They also verify that the company being accredited is unbiased and competent.

International accreditation standards ensure that products, services and organisations are assessed according to uniform standards, regardless of where the accreditation takes place. Consumers can therefore be sure that the resulting certificates and reports meet the same high criteria regardless of whether they were issued within or outside of a specific country. National accreditation organisations in Europe are part of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA). At international level, accreditation is governed by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), the world association of Conformity Assessment Accreditation bodies, and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), which is the international cooperation of laboratory and inspection accreditation bodies. Both organisations work together in accreditation and certification. National accreditation organisations can belong to these two global organisations. Multi-lateral agreement (MLA) in the EA ensures that members recognise each other's accreditations. A similar agreement also exists at international level between members of the IAF and the ILAC.

Traceability
In certain applications and markets, for example the pharmaceutical and food industries, customers want and are required to know the exact origins of products.

Linde Gas provides detailed documentation on all of its traceable products, including information on each step in the value chain through to delivery to the customer. The following is a typical process flow for liquid and cylinder gases:

Liquid gas is continually produced at a Linde Gas air separator. It is stored in one of our large storage tanks – every one of these is periodically analysed. The liquid gas is then transported to the cylinder filling station in a tanker. Here the gas cylinders are filled, analysed and approved by an authorised technician. The gas in the tanker is also analysed to detect any critical impurities. Linde Gas also supplies traceable liquid gases directly to customers.

All of the liquid gas and cylinder gas processes described above are documented in our quality system along with the analysis results for each batch.


Product Stewardship

At Linde, a strong sense of product stewardship helps us manage the impact of our operations by minimising the risks posed by our products at all stages of the lifecycle – from design to disposal

Our aim is to assist you in eliminating or minimising the risks you and your neighbourhood are exposed to when you use our products. To achieve this, we identify and evaluate all safety, health and environmental hazards that our products could potentially pose at all 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 programme include:

  • New product introduction assessment - Before we launch new products, we ensure that they comply with or exceed all applicable SHEQ legislation and meet our internal standards.
  • Management of sensitive chemicals - We have a stringent policy governing sensitive chemicals to prevent illegal or illicit use.
  • Customer safety screening - We partner with you to screen your in-house safety and security procedures. This helps you to minimise any risks that may arise when your employees use our products.

Safety services

Delivering a wide range of safety services

At Linde, we ensure that all gas installations meet the highest international safety standards. We deploy best practices in safety, health, environment and quality. Our in-depth understanding of legislation and international standards puts us in an ideal position to offer a wide range of safety services. Our safety data sheets are always available on our website.

Our safety services include:

  • Staff training: General courses and modules tailored to specific industries and processes, for example, the safe handling of gases and cylinders
  • Customer site safety audits: A comprehensive audit based on our wealth of experience, ensuring a safe working environment for your employees
  • Technical process reviews/audits
  • Risk assessments