July 21, 2016
OSHA cites Air Liquide Large Industries US LP, a Corpus Christi Steam methane reformer plant for willful, serious violations for safety failures that exposed workers to health dangers
Employer name: Air Liquide Large Industries US LP
Inspection Site: 5880 Up River Road, Corpus Christi, Texas 78408
Citations issued: July 20, 2016
Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated the Jan. 27, 2016, inspection after following a complaint of unsafe working conditions at the company's facility in Corpus Christi. The agency cited Air Liquide Large Industries US LP for one willful and one serious violation. The willful citation was issued for failing to perform air monitoring to assess employee exposure to carbon monoxide gas. The serious citation was issued for failing to protect workers from a potentially hazardous atmosphere created by inadequately maintained valves found leaking within the pressure swing adsorption skid.
Proposed penalties: The fines total $77,000
Citations: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/Air_Liquide_1119754.pdf
Quote: "Air Liquide is a large, multinational organization with vast holdings but it chooses to ignore simple processes to keep its employees safe," said Travis Clark, OSHA's Area Director in the Corpus Christi office. "Carbon monoxide can be deadly if it is not controlled and monitored closely."
Information: Air Liquide is headquartered in Paris, Air Liquide has more than 50,000 employees in 80 countries. It is the largest supplier of industrial gases by revenues worldwide. The employer has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Corpus Christi office at 361-888-3420. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
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Air Liquide aims to deliver
innovative gas solutions and technologies to a wide range of customers,
driving their performance and helping them reduce their environmental
impact. No matter where, we make sure our solutions are safe, reliable,
cost-effective and sustainable.
Historical Timeline: Air Liquide in the U.S.
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Our capabilities include the following:
- Industrial gas production – oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and rare gases
- Specialty gases and advanced precursor materials
- Gas supply modes – cylinder, bulk, microbulk, pipeline delivery, as well as on-site production
- Gas handling equipment
- Gas and chemical management
- Analytical and laboratory services
- Cogeneration – steam and electricity
- Research & Development – Delaware Research & Technology Center
- Engineering & Construction
Industrial gas production and distribution
Industrial gas production and distribution has remained at the core of Air Liquide’s business since its founding in 1902. In the U.S., our robust production and distribution networks are engineered to serve the needs of our diverse customer base. Air Liquide owns and operates more than 140 industrial production facilities throughout the U.S.Primary production facilities:
- Air Separation Unit (ASU) – oxygen, nitrogen and argon
- Steam Methane Reformer (SMR) – hydrogen and syngas
- Carbon dioxide capture – purification and liquefaction
- Cogeneration – electricity and steam
- 700+ professional truck drivers
- 500+ tractors and trailers
- 60+ truck and rail depots
Air Liquide owns and operates more than 2,000 miles of industrial gas pipeline in the U.S.Air Liquide has developed an array of on-site industrial gas production technologies to meet the needs of many industries. We install, operate and maintain a range of on-site production systems, which generate medium to large volumes of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen at hundreds of customer sites.
Safety first
Safety is a core value at Air Liquide and we take pride in our high safety standards. Our safety performance, which has improved steadily for more than 20 years, attests to the active involvement of employees in Air Liquide’s strong safety culture.Innovation
Innovation is at the heart of Air Liquide’s strategy. We constantly reinvent our business, anticipating market challenges and opening up new markets to create new growth opportunities. Air Liquide also innovates for the benefit of society, exploring new technologies to meet the needs of customers and patients.The Delaware Research & Technology Center (DRTC), one of Air Liquide’s nine major R&D centers worldwide, was established in Newark, Delaware in 2007.
Today more than 100 researchers representing over 20 nationalities are based at the DRTC.Major fields of research include bioresources, electronics, membranes, oxy-combustion, process control and logistics, hydrogen energy and modeling.