The 2018 CGA Safety and Reliability of Industrial Gases, Equipment, and Facilities Seminar was held October 16-18, in Hollywood, Florida. This is CGA’s longest first and longest running seminar, first held in 1962. This year’s seminar was chaired by Dr. John Somavarapu of American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. and managed by CGA’s Atmospheric Gases and Equipment Committee. The event attracted over 80 attendees from 14 countries including Belgium, Canada, China, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guyana, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The two and a half day program included a wide range of presentations on technical topics, lessons learned, and best practices covering topics such as compressor building safety, thermal fatigue of equipment in cryogenic service, cleaning metals for oxygen service, industrial gas underground pipeline risk management, cryogenic tanker loading safety, risk based audits, and more. The seminar also featured a history session designed to communicate the basis for current industry positions. The historical presentations, given by the industry’s leading subject matter experts, spanned a range of topics including:
- oxygen compressor safety and barrier design;
- use of aluminum in oxygen service;
- safe design and operation considerations for reboilers and condensers;
- cold box integrity;
- perlite management and safeguards;
- safe use of brazed aluminum heat exchangers;
- safe design and operation of flat-bottomed storage tanks;
- prevention of cryogenic embrittlement;
- oxygen valve and equipment safety;
- evolution of liquid oxygen pumps for high pressure gaseous oxygen production;
- oxygen enrichment hazards; and
- cleaning equipment for oxygen service.
Industry members’ willingness to share lessons learned, best practices, research results, and new technologies supports the air separation industry’s long history of safe operation. Seminar attendees gave the seminar an overall rating of Excellent and noted the exceptional educational value as well as the high quality of presentations and knowledge of speakers.
The next Safety & Reliability of Industrial Gases, Equipment, & Facilities Seminar will be held on October 16 – 17, 2019 in Florida. CGA also plans to hold a Specialty Gases Technical & Safety Seminar in 2019. For more information on our seminars or other educational programming, please contact us.
Safety & Reliability of Industrial Gases, Equipment, & Facilities Seminar Recap
/in Education - Tools & ResourcesThe 2018 CGA Safety and Reliability of Industrial Gases, Equipment, and Facilities Seminar was held October 16-18, in Hollywood, Florida. This is CGA’s longest first and longest running seminar, first held in 1962. This year’s seminar was chaired by Dr. John Somavarapu of American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. and managed by CGA’s Atmospheric Gases and Equipment Committee. The event attracted over 80 attendees from 14 countries including Belgium, Canada, China, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guyana, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The two and a half day program included a wide range of presentations on technical topics, lessons learned, and best practices covering topics such as compressor building safety, thermal fatigue of equipment in cryogenic service, cleaning metals for oxygen service, industrial gas underground pipeline risk management, cryogenic tanker loading safety, risk based audits, and more. The seminar also featured a history session designed to communicate the basis for current industry positions. The historical presentations, given by the industry’s leading subject matter experts, spanned a range of topics including:
Industry members’ willingness to share lessons learned, best practices, research results, and new technologies supports the air separation industry’s long history of safe operation. Seminar attendees gave the seminar an overall rating of Excellent and noted the exceptional educational value as well as the high quality of presentations and knowledge of speakers.
The next Safety & Reliability of Industrial Gases, Equipment, & Facilities Seminar will be held on October 16 – 17, 2019 in Florida. CGA also plans to hold a Specialty Gases Technical & Safety Seminar in 2019. For more information on our seminars or other educational programming, please contact us.
CGA Certification Board, LLC Holds First Exam
/in CertificationThe CGA Certification Board, LLC (CGACB) held its first exam on December 12, 2018, for personnel involved in the installation and maintenance of bulk compressed medical gas supply systems. Candidates who successfully completed the exam will obtain a dual certification to CGA M-1, Standard for Medical Gas Supply Systems at Health Care Facilities, and ASSE 6015, Bulk Medical Gas Systems Installers. The candidates included representatives from Airgas, Air Products and Chemicals, Matheson, and Linde North America.
The CGA M-1/ASSE 6015 Certification provides a comprehensive evaluation of a candidate’s knowledge of the process of designing, locating, installing, commissioning, maintaining, testing, removing, and documenting work on a bulk CMG supply system, including:
The certification indicates to inspectors, health care facility operators, and other stakeholders that a technician has been evaluated by an independent certification body and found to have a thorough working knowledge of applicable industry standards including CGA M-1, NFPA 99, NFPA 55, and the FDA Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements. Candidates are also required to submit their training history and company standard operating procedure contents for review to ensure that they meet or exceed the requirements of CGA M-1 or ASSE 6015.
The CGACB is working to schedule CGA M-1/ASSE 6015 Certification exam dates and locations in 2019 based on requests from interested candidates. If you are interested in obtaining the certification and would like to suggest a location or get more information about the 2019 schedule, please contact the CGA Certification Board, LLC.
New U.S. TAG for ISO/TC 158, Analysis of Gases
/in International Publications & HarmonizationCGA is taking on the administration of a new U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG), for International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/Technical Committee (TC) 158, Analysis of gases. ISO/TC 158 operates under […]
Now Available: CGA Acetylene Webinar Series
/in Education - Tools & ResourcesThis exciting new series features presentations from industry experts, available on-demand for your convenience.
Nitrous Oxide Facts
/in Safety InformationNitrous oxide (N2O) is a clear, colorless, oxidizing liquefied gas with a slightly sweet odor. The product is stable at room temperature. We discuss the facts about N2O in this article.
IOMA International Harmonization Award
/in International Publications & HarmonizationCGA is pleased to congratulate Dr. John A. Somavarapu of American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. as the recipient of the 2018 IOMA International Harmonization Award!
Inhaling Helium: Party Fun or Deadly Menace?
/in Safety InformationWhat could be hazardous about a helium-filled party balloon, you ask? After all, balloons are supposed to be fun, right? The answer may surprise you.