These companies, in the industrial, food and medical gases industries, include manufacturers and suppliers of bulk liquid and cylinder gases, cylinders, vessels, tanks, pipework, systems, related equipment and providers of specialist safety, health, quality, inspection and training services. Today, BCGA members employ a combined 19,000 people directly and account for an annual turnover of £2.7 bn.
The BCGA plays a key role in ensuring that its member companies are supported and informed. Holds dialogue with government departments and agencies, standard organisations and other trade associations Produces a range of publications including Codes of Practice, Guidance Notes and Technical papers. We are a highly regulated industry and safety is paramount to the BCGA members.
To enable all BCGA members, and related industries, to operate safely and grow, by proactively:
This vision will help support the present and future application of industry innovation.
BCGA is also a member of the European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA), which is headquartered in Brussels and represents the majority of European and a number of non-European companies producing and distributing industrial, medical and food gases. BCGA also fosters cross-industry links by its involvement or membership of the CBI, TAF, Alliance of Chemical Associations (ACA) and REACH Cross Sector Group. A comprehensive list of other associations BCGA works with regularly can be found here.
We also maintain a close rapport with GasWorld Magazine, which headlines developments in the industrial gases industry throughout the year and is a key supporter to the BCGA Conference.
Manufacturers and suppliers of bulk liquid and cylinder gases
Manufacturers of cylinders, vessels and tanks for their storage and distribution
Manufacturers of equipment for controlling the application and use of gases
Installers of distribution pipework and systems
Providers of specialist safety, health, quality, inspection and training services
Compressed and liquefied industrial, food and medical gases offer life-saving, life-enhancing and life-promoting qualities, which ultimately improve our quality of life. They are vital to the UK economy and essential to the existence and wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of people in the UK every day. BCGA’s Mission is to promote safety in the use, storage, transportation and handling of these gases.
Companies which manufacture and supply these vital gases are also committed to the highest standards of safety and quality, which is why they choose to become members of the BCGA. In line with its strong safety position, the BCGA is often the voice of the industry where matters of concern arise. Benefiting from a team of dedicated professionals that can assist with enquiries relating to compressed gases, BCGA has a number of committees that are responsible for different aspects of the Associations function’s including technical advice and documentation. Our committee TSC 6 is the BCGA’s health and safety advisory group.
Currently of issue to the Association is the misuse of helium and liquid nitrogen, which are both critically important gases. The BCGA has produced a White Paper on Mission Safety including a wide-range of information on the concerns it shares in these two areas, and calls for action to address them. The White Paper also sets out the features and benefits of helium and liquid nitrogen – and the controls it would like to see on their use.
The BCGA actively promotes safety practice through its many publications. These publications include codes of practice, guidance notes, technical reports, leaflets and technical information sheets, as well as safety alerts and industry information, which are available as a free download.
BCGA also has a lot of useful information within our Gas Topics section, including advice on Gas Abuse which highlights the dangers of misusing gases and the potential hazards that can occur if gases are used irresponsibly. It includes reference to nitrous oxide, helium and liquid nitrogen.
Members may follow the work of the Technical Committee and its various Technical Sub-Committees within the members area of the website. BCGA’s work and developments are showcased each year through our annual conference in the spring.
BCGA is a member of the European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA) and of the CBI and its Trade Association Forum (TAF).
Other Trade Associations involved with gases include Liquid Gas UK, the British Compressed Air Society Ltd (BCAS) and the British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA).
British Aerosol Manufacturers Association
British Compressed Air Society
Confederation of British Industry
Liquid Gas UK
Trade Association Forum
