CGA / GAWDA Partnership Graphic

GAWDA Distributors Encouraged to Participate in Valuable CGA Subscription Program

June 14, 2019

In May 2019, CGA’s President and CEO Rich Gottwald presented at the Gases and Welding Distributors Association’s Spring Management Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rich’s remarks provided attendees with an overview of the CGA/GAWDA Partnership, which is now in its 8th year. Highlights of his talk are provided here.

CGA/GAWDA Partnership Details

GAWDA pays an annual subscription fee to the Compressed Gas Association on behalf of all its distributor members. Participating GAWDA distributor members receive complimentary access to CGA’s electronic safety publication library (enabling one employee per company location to gain free access to CGA’s library of over 330 electronic publications for a total value of more than $18,000 per user).

In addition, GAWDA distributor members who participate in the CGA Publication Subscription Program qualify for CGA member pricing on hard copy publications, the CGA Handbook of Compressed Gases, and safety videos.

A New Benefit for 2019: eLearning Modules

This year, we added a new benefit to this program – free access to CGA’s eLearning modules for up to 15 employees per company location.

The eLearning modules provide a modern training method for introducing basic safety information to new industry employees across a range of topics, including the safe handling of compressed gases, acetylene cylinders, and cryogenic liquids in portable containers.

eLearning Modules Available Now:

  • Safe Handling and Storage of Compressed Gases® (CGA TM-1)
  • Safe Handling of Acetylene Cylinders® (CGA TM-2)
  • Safe Handling of Cryogenic Liquids in Portable Containers® (CGA TM-3)

In Development for 2019:

  • Filling Industrial Gas Cylinders
  • Filling Medical Gas Cylinders
  • Filling Liquefied CO2 Cylinders

How to Participate in the Program

Rich encouraged GAWDA distributor members to sign up to participate in this cooperative program between GAWDA and CGA.

To gain free access to CGA publications and eLearning modules, a company:

  • Must be a GAWDA distributor member in good standing
  • Must participate in the CGA & GAWDA Distributor Reporting and Safety Awards Program (requires annual submission of OSHA 300A safety data to CGA – for all companies with 11 or more employees); and
  • Must not be a former member of CGA with a membership termination date later than October 10, 2011

The CGA and GAWDA Distributor Safety Reporting and Awards Program promotes safety awareness as an extension of the missions of both Associations. All GAWDA distributor members are encouraged to join the nearly 75 companies currently participating.

The prestigious Awards Program honors the participating GAWDA distributor member companies that have shown the greatest improvement in safety performance over the past 5 years. Each year, awards are presented at GAWDA’s Annual Conference and then again at CGA’s Annual Meeting.

Benefits of Participating in CGA’s Subscription Program for GAWDA Members

74 GAWDA members operating 676 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada currently participate in the CGA Subscription Program.

Benefits of the program include:

  • Increase focus on safety
    • Reduce incidents
    • Reduce recordable cases
    • Reduce lost time injuries
  • Improve regulatory compliance

How to Participate

The graphic below provides a quick overview of the steps participating GAWDA members take to participate in the CGA Subscription Program:

CGA / GAWDA Partnership Graphic

If you work for a GAWDA distributor member and would like to learn more about applying to have your company participate in this valuable program, check out these links to access the GAWDA subscriber application form and the safety data submission form:

CGA Website: https://portal.cganet.com/GAWDA.aspx

GAWDA Website: https://www.gawda.org/resources/cga-subscription-program/