Miami, FLA., October 31, 2011 – A new agreement between the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA ) and the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) will soon allow GAWDA members free access to CGA’s electronic safety standards.

This new benefit for GAWDA members was announced by Bryan Keen, GAWDA’s 2012 President and Michael Tiller, President and CEO of CGA, during GAWDA’s Annual Convention in New York City on October 12th.

“The entire Board of Directors are excited that we are able to offer these benefits to GAWDA distributors. In addition to the valuable safety information to which our members will now have easy access, the savings we are providing to our members, compared to the cost of purchasing the publications directly, is huge and in most cases is in excess of the entire GAWDA dues amount,” said Keen.

“Both CGA and GAWDA’s missions are to promote safety, so providing access to CGA publications to the vast distributor network GAWDA represents should reduce the number of injuries and incidents and improve regulatory compliance. Not only are there benefits of improved safety for our employees and customers, but the increased safety of the industry also increases the credibility of CGA and GAWDA when we are working with regulators and legislators,” said Tiller.

GAWDA members can expect to begin taking advantage of this free benefit by the first quarter of 2012. There are two parts to this new relationship; a co-sponsored award recognizing improvement in safety performance and access to CGA’s electronic library of technical publications.

CGA and GAWDA will co-sponsor a new Safety Improvement Award for GAWDA distributor members. The award will be given every year at the GAWDA annual meeting, as well as at CGA’s annual meeting, to the
distributor with the greatest improvement in safety performance during the previous two years, and is based upon the total recordable case incidence rates as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

CGA has roughly 300 different publications addressing all aspects of the industrial and medical gases industry. A list of CGA’s publications may be viewed online at http://www.cganet.com/customer/Publication.aspx. Founded in 1913, the CGA’s primary mission is to develop and promote safety standards and practices for the safe manufacture, transportation, storage, transfilling, and disposal of industrial and medical gases and their containers. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has accredited CGA as a standards developing organization and CGA is the recognized leader in the development of gas and equipment standards in North America and around the world, many of which are referenced by regulators at all levels of government.

About GAWDA
Founded in 1945, the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) is dedicated to promoting the safe operation and economic vitality of distributors of industrial gases and related welding equipment supplies. To date, through the GAWDA Gives Back drive, GAWDA members have donated over $1 million to charity organizations across the U.S. For more information, visit the association’s website at www.gawda.org