Worthington Enterprises Supports PHMSA Cylinder Safety Advisory Seeking to Keep Americans Safe from Fraudulent Imports
January 29 2025 - 8:10AM
Worthington Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: WOR) is encouraging consumers,
contractors, retailers and other users of pressure cylinders to
follow the January 13, 2025, safety advisory issued by the U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA) regarding unsafe cylinders
manufactured primarily by non-U.S. companies. Worthington
Enterprises is the only American manufacturer of many sizes of
steel cylinders, which are used for various critical infrastructure
purposes such as cooking, home heating, refrigeration/cooling, foam
insulation, sealants and adhesives.
In its advisory, PHMSA described the safety issue
by writing, “Cylinders that are not authorized for the safe filling
or transport of gases are being sold online by major retailers.
PHMSA is particularly concerned that these cylinders are not
manufactured to a DOT specification or UN standard, lack
certification markings as required by [PHMSA’s regulations], and
are being sold to consumers, and HVAC personnel and service
technicians. For cylinders that are used for activities such as
outdoor grilling or camping, consumers should ensure their
cylinders are in compliance with [PHMSA’s regulations] for their
own safety. Likewise, technicians are supposed to use authorized
DOT specification or UN standard cylinders to extract or recover
refrigerant gas from systems in need of repair or replacement, so
that the cylinder can be safely and legally transported.”
Joe Hayek, president and chief executive officer,
Worthington Enterprises, said, “We are grateful for PHMSA’s work to
keep Americans safe, and we share the agency’s concerns about the
proliferation of non-compliant cylinders making their way into and
throughout our country. There is mounting evidence that companies
in China and other countries are undermining DOT’s pressurized
cylinder quality and safety standards that Worthington has adhered
to for more than 50 years. The sale of non-compliant cylinders and
the shipping of hazardous material in those cylinders without
required markings creates safety risks that need to be
addressed.”
The Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety and Oversight
Improvements Act of 2023 (H.R. 3404 and S. 1632) is an
important part of the solution. The proposed bill, which was
introduced by a bipartisan group of co-sponsors from the U.S.
Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, seeks to require the U.S.
Secretary of Transportation to establish regulations relating to
cylinders manufactured in foreign countries and sold in the United
States. Regulations could include facility inspections and other
protocols to ensure safety and compliance. While this bill was not
enacted before the end of the last Congressional session,
Worthington Enterprises is eager to collaborate with the new
Congress and the Trump administration to enact these reforms in
2025.
Hayek concluded, “These products, which are
growing in variety and volume, are potentially unsafe and put users
in danger. The risks presented will only grow in the absence of
consistent inspection and accountability. We are looking forward to
working with Congress and the professional leadership at PHMSA to
champion high-quality and safe products made in America.”
Worthington Enterprises manufacturers cylinders in
the United States at facilities in Maize, Kansas; Paducah,
Kentucky; Columbus, Jefferson and Westerville, Ohio; West Warwick,
Rhode Island; and, Chilton, Wisconsin.
About Worthington Enterprises
Worthington Enterprises (NYSE: WOR) is a designer and manufacturer
of market-leading brands that help enable people to live safer,
healthier and more expressive lives. The Company operates with two
primary business segments: Building Products and Consumer Products.
The Building Products segment includes cooking, heating, cooling
and water solutions, architectural and acoustical grid ceilings and
metal framing and accessories. The Consumer Products segment
provides solutions for the tools, outdoor living and celebrations
categories. Product brands within the Worthington Enterprises
portfolio include Balloon Time®, Bernzomatic®, Coleman® (propane
cylinders), CoMet®, Garden Weasel®, General®, HALO™, Hawkeye™,
Level5 Tools®, Mag Torch®, NEXI™, Pactool International®,
PowerCore™, Ragasco®, Well-X-Trol® and XLite™, among others. The
Company also serves the growing global hydrogen ecosystem via a
joint venture focused on on-board fueling systems and gas
containment solutions.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Worthington
Enterprises and its joint ventures employ approximately 6,000
people throughout North America and Europe.
Founded in 1955 as Worthington Industries,
Worthington Enterprises follows a people-first Philosophy with
earning money for its shareholders as its first corporate goal.
Worthington Enterprises achieves this outcome by empowering its
employees to innovate, thrive and grow with leading brands in
attractive markets that improve everyday life. The Company engages
deeply with local communities where it has operations through
volunteer efforts and The Worthington Companies Foundation,
participates actively in workforce development programs and reports
annually on its corporate citizenship and sustainability efforts.
For more information, visit worthingtonenterprises.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements by Worthington Enterprises that are not limited to
historical information constitute “forward-looking statements”
under federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are
subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause actual results to differ materially from those expected by
Worthington Enterprises. Readers should evaluate forward-looking
statements in the context of such risks, uncertainties and other
factors, many of which are described in Worthington Enterprises’
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
Forward-looking statements are qualified by the cautionary
statements included in Worthington Enterprises’ SEC filings and
other public communications. This press release speaks only as of
the date hereof. Worthington Enterprises does not undertake any
obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements
except as required by applicable law or regulation.
Sonya L. HigginbothamSenior
Vice PresidentChief of Corporate Affairs, Communications and
Sustainability614.438.7391sonya.higginbotham@wthg.com
Marcus A. RogierTreasurer and
Investor Relations Officer614.840.4663marcus.rogier@wthg.com
200 West
Old Wilson Bridge Rd.Columbus, Ohio 43085WorthingtonEnterprises.com
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