A Medical Gas System Installation Project And Usage Requirements

A medical gas system is critical when caring for patients who will either be undergoing surgery or will be in need of oxygen support during routine procedures. A set of blueprints and compliance guidelines will aid with setting up a medical gas system.

The Blueprints

A facility manager is a vital employee who will be responsible for overseeing and maintaining new equipment. An engineer will devise the blueprints that will outline where various gas tanks will be installed. In a hospital setting, gas is typically set up in a central room that is off-limits to personnel and patients. Manifolds are used to distribute an endless supply of gas throughout a pipeline system. On the opposite end of the pipeline, there will be outlets that medical equipment will be attached to.

The medical gas outlets will be color-coded, which will allow a caregiver to properly assess each wall or ceiling outlet and connect the medical device that will be needed to distribute nitrous oxide, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases that are essential for patient care. A set of blueprints will outline where a ventilation system will be installed. 

Compliance Requirements

A set of medical compliance and fire safety guidelines will need to be followed. A technician who has trained in the medical gas field will need to be hired to install copper piping, gas tanks, and ventilation components. Copper piping must be properly tagged. The tagging system will consist of permanent labels that will identify a particular gas type that will be routed through a series of piping sections.

Each label will match the label that is attached to the outlet that is on the opposite end of the piping. Medical compliance guidelines use a universal color-coding system. The labels will be one or two distinct colors. A facility manager should require medical personnel to memorize a list of color codes that pertain to a medical gas system. If any piping will be buried underground, coded labels will be secured along the surface of the ground.

A test run will be performed after the gas has been installed by a technician. Medical equipment will need to be connected to the outlets where gas will be used. A calibration process can be performed, which will determine if gas is effectively being released through the piping. A gas supply room should be kept sanitized, to reduce damage to the equipment. Gas monitoring will also be essential. This requires records to be collected, which will determine when more gas will need to be added to each tank.

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