GAS DISTRIBUTION AND PIPING

The centralized medical gas installations and delivery and distribution systems are the current trend in ensuring effective patient care.

Piped gases from central location directly to outlets at the points of patient use provide high level of safety. The direct piping methods removes obsolete, bulky and dangerous pressurized cylinders from the patients’ bedside.

Besides these piped supplies provide easier quality control and pressure regulation as all the gases are delivered from a central point- vaccum pumps/ compressors/ cylinder manifold systems.

The pipeline are designed and installed under strict regulations.

Medical Gas Manifold Equipment and Installations are handled by personnel who are familiar with and trained in the operating and safety procedures laid down by the manufacturer or supplier of the systems.

Warning Systems, both audio and visual, should be constantly visible and monitored at suitable, convenient, accessible and visible and if required in multiple locations.

Responsibility for ensuring supplies to the manifold should be clearly established, defined, documented and implemented within the hospital.

When connecting cylinders to the manifold, ensure that

• The connections are leak tested, using an approved leak testing methods.
• Emergency cylinders are full and available for use and they are checked and rotated on a regular basis.
• Manifold room is not used as a general cylinder store; all empty cylinders are removed from this place and kept separate.

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It is important that

• Adequate training is given to all personnel involved in the operations.
• Well-laid procedures are readily available wherein details of operating instructions and actions to be taken in the event of a gas supply failure or maintenance shutdown.
• Maintenance shutdowns are informed to all concerned in writing.

For manifolds ensure that

• The cylinders valves on the running bank are open.
• The valves are the reserve bank are closed.
• When there is a need to change over, decided either by the low pressure alarms or after visual observation, open the valves on the reserve bank and manually changeover the manifold.
• The empty cylinders on the now empty bank are replaced with full cylinders.
• All the empty cylinders should be removed from the manifold room to the cylinder general store and stores/purchasing personnel and supplier informed for replacement of empty cylinders with filled ones.

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