Linde North America, a member of The Linde Group, announced today that it has received certification of its Salt Lake City, Utah hydrogen plant under the Responsible Care program offered by the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

Responsible Care is a management system aimed at helping companies improve performance in seven key areas: community awareness and emergency response, security, distribution, employee health and safety, pollution prevention, process safety, and product stewardship.

Certification is mandatory for all ACC member companies, which must undergo headquarter and facility audits by an independent, accredited auditor to verify that they have a structure and system in place that manages and measures performance.

Since 2008, 19 Linde plants in North America have been certified under the program. The Salt Lake City plant is the second to be audited this year, with two additional plants scheduled for audit before the end of the year.

The Linde hydrogen plant at Salt Lake City has been in operation since 2006 and produces 26 million cubic feet per day of hydrogen. The company supplies both hydrogen and steam by pipeline to refineries in the Salt Lake valley, including Chevron, Tesoro, Silver Eagle, Big West and Holly.

Implementing the Responsible Care system is a multi-step process. Companies must first identify and assess potential hazards and risks associated with their products, processes and operations, and then establish goals and objectives to address any significant hazards or risks. Next, they must do what they have planned, checking their progress along the way to measure performance and take necessary corrective actions.

Salt Lake City plant manager Aaron Perry commented, "This ACC certification is affirmation of the site's commitment to safety, the environment and the community. It is the ultimate positive feedback to our behavior at the Salt Lake City plant."