Ensuring proper patient care and employee safety is paramount in health care facilities. This is why medical gas inspection is so crucial. Newly installed medical gas systems must be inspected by a company other than the installer prior to concealing piping distribution systems in walls, ceilings, chases, trenches, or underground. The inspection must be performed by an ASSE 6020 Medical Gas Systems Inspector or ASSE 6030 Medical Gas Systems Verifiers.
The Role of a Medical Gas Inspector
Medical gas inspectors must undergo rigorous training and certification processes to ensure they have all the necessary skills for verifying these systems. Whether they apply for ASSE 6020 or ASSE 6030 certification, candidates must have at least two years of experience verifying medical gas systems and complete a training course.
The verification process includes a visual inspection of the equipment to make sure it has been installed properly. Inspectors also perform pressure testing to verify that the system is within spec and there are no leaks anywhere in the piping, valves or connections. Other elements of the inspection include making sure the gas cylinders are properly stored and secured, all equipment is properly labeled with compliant safety information, and that documentation such as service and maintenance records are up-to-date.
When qualified and trained medical gas inspectors take a close look at this infrastructure, they can identify any issues before the systems have a chance to put people’s health and lives at risk. These inspections are just one facet of the many capabilities Evergreen Medical Services can bring to your facility. We can ensure your systems are safe and compliant with all relevant regulations through our extensive inspection, testing and maintenance services.
Evergreen follows this new NFPA 99 code and the ASSE 6000 guidelines as per below:
A QUALIFIED ASSE 6020 OR 603O, OTHER THAN THE INSTALLING CONTRACTOR, SHALL PERFORM MEDICAL GAS PIPING INSPECTIONS PRIOR TO START OF MEDICALS GAS INSTALLATION AND AT 25%, 50%, & 75% OF COMPLETION OF ROUGH-IN PIPING WORK PRIOR TO CONCEALING PIPING DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM(S) IN WALLS, CEILINGS, CHASES, TRENCHES, UNDERGROUND, OR OTHERWISE HIDDEN FROM VIEW. INSPECTION SHALL INCLUDE DOCUMENTATION REVIEW AND JOB SITE INSPECTIONS PER CURRENT ASSE 6000 ANNEX B “PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAL GAS SYSTEMS,” WITNESSING INITIAL PRESSURE TESTS, INSPECTING LABELING, AND INSPECTING VALVE TAGGING.
Evergreen Medical’s team of expert inspectors can help ensure your medical gas systems follow the above requirements. Contact us today to begin assessment on your next project. If you have questions about this process or the expertise we can provide to you, take a look at our FAQ page, then reach out to us to get started.