PIPE DREAMS
Fred Evans, CEO
Medical Gas Management, LLC
The
majority of my adult life has been working with medical gas systems. With
a background in respiratory therapy, I spent 25 years with medical gas
equipment suppliers in positions ranging from service technician to sales
and eventually company vice president. My brother, Tom, was working in
the biomedical and anesthesia equipment industry and had earned
certification from P.I.P.E. (Piping Industry, Progress & Education).
During those years we recognized problems with medical gas systems that
were common to many health care providers.
Throughout the health care
industry, there was confusion in the interpretation of NFPA Standards and
inconsistency in how the Standards were applied. The revisions to the
Standards every three years added to the problem. Very little reference
material was available to guide architects and engineers in the design of
medical gas systems. A resource to offer formal training to installers of
medical gas systems did not exist. We believed these problems had to be
addressed.
There was an obvious need to
standardize the method of Certification for medical gas systems. Without
that, patients could be put at risk and health care providers may not
even be aware of the problems. Education and training were key to safety
issues in medical gas systems. The industry needed a resource that could
answer questions, provide guidance and respond to emergency situations
related to medical gas systems. With a vision and leap of faith, Tom and
I co-founded Medical Gas Management, LLC in 1990.
Over
the past ten years, MGM has made great progress in achieving our original
vision. We developed a consistent, comprehensive method of certification
for medical gas systems to insure full compliance with NFPA codes. We
assembled a team of professional technicians, across the United States,
to service, test and certify medical gas systems. Over 1,300 students
have been trained and certified in the installation of safe medical gas
systems at our Medical Gas Training Center. Medical Gas Management also
played an active role in the establishment of MGPHO.
Our
vision for MGM continues to grow. We are increasing our technical staff
for even better responsiveness to our clients. The educational programs
are expanding to provide more and better training for installers,
technicians, facility managers designers and engineers. We will increase
awareness of what is "Beyond the Walls" to the health care
industry through personal contact and Medical Gas Matters!
|
|
TECH TIPS – Alarm
Panels
Tom
Evans, VP
Medical Gas Management, LLC
Written standards providing for
monitoring of medical gas pressures have been in effect for more than
forty years. Undoubtedly one of the essential components of a monitoring
system is a properly functioning alarm. The alarm must notify hospital
facility staff members that a significant change in gas pressure has
occurred. Without a fully functional medical gas alarm system, the
patient is put at increased risk and patient safety is
compromised.
The
proper operation of life support devices such as respirators,
ventilators, anesthesia machines and flowmeters depend on the medical gas
system’s pressure. Although devices are pressure compen-sated to
allow for minor variations in their supply pressures, they are
susceptible to errors in calibration and failure when gas pressures are
not within prescribed ranges specified by their manufacturers.
I
have inspected more than 4,000 hospitals in the U.S. and abroad. In my
experience, a very high percentage of existing medical gas alarms are
deficient in their ability to provide an accurate alarm as required for
either high or low gas pressure or primary to secondary changeover
conditions which seriously compromise patient safety. These faulty alarms
often have sensing units and pressure switches that have simply worn out
as well as very old electronics that are likely to
malfunction.
As
serious as the problem is, there is an effective solution. Many systems
can be brought up to current standards by new retrofit kits available
from several manufacturers. These kits provide modernization of existing
area alarm panels within the existing back box assemblies. Old front
panel, sensors and electronics are replaced with new modern components
that meet today’s standards. No new construction is required to
replace them. Expansion of existing panels to include currently required
alarms like "dewpoint" for medical gas or "vacuum pump
run" can often be accomplished without system interruption.
Replacement of the necessary components and new electronics can be
accomplished in about an hour by a skilled technician.
Old
malfunctioning alarms compromise patient safety. Retro fit medical gas
alarm systems that meet current minimum NFPA and JCAHO requirements are
available and can be readily installed with a minimum of disruption.
Replacement will alleviate the worry and risk associated with
deficiencies. The patient deserves it, the budget will stand it, and the
right thing to do is fix it.
|
|
Medical Gas Systems
School
Medical Gas Management’s
educational center provides the background and training that contractors
and hospital maintenance staff need to help understand and maintain
medical gas systems. The school’s curriculum is up to date with the
most current NFPA, CGA and AWS standards.
COURSE OVERVIEW
• History of medical
gas systems
An overview of medical gas systems provides understanding of how
the standards developed, the agencies having authority over the medical
gas systems and how they are used in medical applications.
• Understanding
the piping system
The piping system is studied in detail. The training is
divided into two sections.
– The first section is NFPA standards and design. In this
section a complete overview of the system is provided with emphasis on
specifications, blueprints and "as built" drawings.
– The second section covers materials and installation.
Included are the acceptable materials per NFPA/CGA, requirements for pipe
and tubing, valves, fittings and gauges. Cleaning compounds, sealants and
lubricants are covered. Training includes how components of a medical gas
system are identified, labeled and installed. Issues of system sizing for
calculated demand are taught. Preventative maintenance procedures are
included in the training on piping systems.
• Source
equipment
Medical gas system components and their placement within
the system are taught. Specific training includes liquid bulk sites and
the equipment used, reserve supplies, and manifolds for oxygen, nitrous
oxide, nitrogen, medical air and carbon dioxide. Alarms and how they are
located and used is included.
• Installation and
Qualification requirements
Brazing procedure specification and the performance
qualification record are covered. Included are identification, labeling,
documentation and record keeping procedures and requirements. A
comprehensive classroom section covers all types of brazed joints,
procedures and materials. The classroom section is followed by hands on
training in the procedures. Finally, the student demonstrates the
required brazing knowledge and skills through written testing and
brazement samples.
The
next school is March 2000. More information is available at our web site,
www.mgmusa.com or by calling (405) 787-1134.
|
|
What We Do
Medical Gas Management, LLC
and Source Engineering, Inc. are dedicated to providing the safest, most
reliable medical gas systems available. The accurate delivery of pure,
clean medical gas is crucial to a
variety of life-saving treatments and procedures. At both
Medical Gas Management and Source Engineering, Inc., the mission is to
provide service that insures peace of mind for the patient as well as the
professional provider.
Medical Gas Management:
MGM focuses on the proper
design and operation of medical gas systems. The services offered can be
classified under four headings.
Design and Consultation
• The complete design service ranges from full detail
schematics to consultations with architects and design engineers to
ensure code compliance.
• Construction specification writing provides detailed
installation instructions as well as all equipment specifications and
equipment take offs.
System Evaluation
• Systems are evaluated for code compliance and
patient safety issues. Reports include the evaluation of source
equipment, outlets, valves, and alarm panels as well as all deficiencies
discovered. Deficiencies are referenced by the current NFPA code
requirements. Specific procedures are recommended to correct the
problems.
• Pipeline mapping provides hospitals with schematics
showing the accurate location of pipelines, source valves, main valves,
riser valves, branch valves, maintenance valves, zone valves, and alarms
as well as the areas they control.
Testing and
Certification
• Certification is performed on existing systems, new
systems, and systems with additions, modifications, or repairs. Testing
includes checking for crossed lines, testing for impurities, testing for
equipment
malfunction, tracing lines, verification of correct materials
used, functional performance, and auditing components within the
system.
Education
• The MGM Education Center offers comprehensive
training and certifies students in all phases of the installation of
safe, code compliant gas delivery systems. Hands on training includes
proper brazing of the special alloys used in medical gas pipelines, the
proper placement of equipment in a given system, equipment evaluations
and prevention of gas line contamination.
Source Engineering:
Source Engineering provides
installation, maintenance, modifications and repairs to medical gas
systems. Products and materials needed for any medical gas project are
available through the Source Engineering Parts Division.
Installation
• Source Engineering installs new medical gas systems
and equipment. All installations are guaranteed to meet NFPA code
requirements.
• Existing systems are expanded or modified by Source
Engineering. Any changes made to a current system are carefully
documented.
• Source repairs medical gas systems or components that are
defective or no longer in compliance with current codes.
Preventive Maintenance
• Maintenance of a certified system is very
important, requiring periodic checks on major components of the system.
Source Engineering offers this service on an annual contract basis or by
the job.
Pipeline decontamination
• The cause of the line contamination is found and
corrected. The lines are then purged or treated until all contaminates
are removed from the system.
Products and Supplies
• Source Engineering Parts Division offers the finest
in medical vacuum pumps, air compressors, shutoff valves, manifolds and a
variety of supplies for medical gas systems.
|
|
Beyond The Walls…
This
twisted elbow was hidden in the ceiling and was only discovered by using
proper testing procedures for flow and pressure drop. It was in the
existing vacuum piping of a zone that had some patient rooms added to
it.
The
vacuum system has a combination of galvanized and copper pipe with unions
used to join them. When the additional rooms were added, the pipelines
for the zone were modified. Probably, a second wrench was not used to
back up the wrench that tightened the union and the copper pipe twisted
as a result creating this “tornado” and a reduced vacuum
flow.
|
|
MGPHO Meeting Scheduled
for New Orleans
The
Medical Gas Professional Healthcare Organization will hold their next
meeting in New Orleans on January 21, 2000 at the New Orleans Airport
Hilton Hotel. The session opens at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude at 3:00
p.m. The meeting will include a lunch at noon. Cost for the lunch is
$15.75 per person and must be reserved in advance. (If you plan to
attend, send your lunch payment to Al Moon at 16339 Drive, Stillwell, KS
66085)
The
agenda includes discussions of the efficacy of testing equipment that is
currently in use, as well as new or improved equipment. Also scheduled is
a discussion on insurance for the industry that will include an insurance
representative explaining liability issues, errors and omissions and the
like. The session will include discussion of possible discounts on
insurance pricing for MGPHO members.
All
industry professionals are encouraged to join MGPHO. Membership affords
you the opportunity to meet with colleagues, discuss existing and new
standards affecting the industry, and discuss the importance of
establishing credentials for verifiers and certifiers. Everyone’s
voice is needed!
For
information on membership contact:
RMS
George Scott, President
364 Adams Street
Bedford Hills, NY 10507
(914) 666-2990
|
|
|
|
