Feature
undertaken or at least approved by a qualified engineer as this is
a life support system. Thereafter the equipment installed needs
to be specifically for medical applications. This installation needs
to be performed by certified and qualified gas practitioners to
ensure a safe and reliable system as per the approved design.
By following these steps all parties involved can be assured that
the system has been designed, installed and tested according
to the correct standard. The SANS 7396-1 and 2 as well as the
qualification for gas practitioners is currently being reviewed so
this should hopefully prevent further installations which are not
according to standard from occurring.
Efficiency of local systems depends entirely on the design of
the system. It is often found that most systems are either totally
over- or under-engineered. The ideal situation is to have a system
that is fit for purpose. For example, installing a bulk oxygen tank
at a 10-bed clinic is complete overkill. If the systems are properly
designed, installed and maintained, wastage will be minimal, and
efficiency increased.
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PRIVATE VS PUBLIC FACILITIES
The private facilities seem to look after their systems more
carefully – probably because they have a limited budget
allocated to this function. There are some state facilities that are
still well maintained but sadly the vast majority of them are in a
very poor condition.
As previously mentioned, the medical gas system is the
backbone of the hospital and it is essential that these systems
are well maintained. Most suppliers or contractors offer
extended warranties, which is a good option to prolong the
longevity of the system. The cost may seem high at first but if
you consider the cost of broken hospital equipment or loss of life
this cost is well worth incurring.
GETTING IT RIGHT
In order for a drastic improvement in our medical gas systems to
be seen, both designers and installers need to take responsibility
for their scope of work and should inform the client of the
relevant standards which exist as the clients are often unaware
or unfamiliar with these. Anyone seeking additional advice
regarding this is welcome to contact me. RACA
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Installation of the system is more than just placing gas
cylinders in a ward.
Proper installation of these system are far and wide in
between.
Copper pipes, alarms, compressors, vacuum pumps and
manifolds make up parts of a medical gas system.
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RACA Journal I February 2020
27