Z7396.1-12

Overview

Z7396.1 Medical gas pipeline systems - Part 1: Pipelines for medical gases, medical vacuum, medical support gases, and anaesthetic gas scavenging systems

Z7396.1-12 - Medical Gas Pipeline Systems. Medical gases perform a critical role in health care delivery and are used every day by millions of people in thousands of locations such as hospitals, long term care homes, ambulances and dental offices. Disruptions in the delivery of medical gases can create serious threats to patient safety and care as well as increase maintenance and repair costs due to inefficiencies in the operation of medical gas systems.

This third edition of CSA Z7396.1, Part 1 is referenced in numerous provincial jurisdictions and is the foundation for installation of medical gas systems within health care facilities. It is comparable in scope to ISO 7396-1, Medical gas pipeline systems - Part 1: Pipeline Systems for Compressed Medical Gases and Vacuum, and ISO 7396-2, Medical Gas Pipeline Systems - Part 2: Anaesthetic Gas Scavenging Disposal Systems, but contains requirements to reflect Canadian practices and safety considerations.

Highlights of Z7396.1, Part 1 include:

• Focus on the design of systems to ensure the continuous supply of gas or vacuum in normal condition or in single fault condition
• Reinforcement of installation procedures for supply systems and pipelines
• Guidance on selection of materials and components
• Inclusion of control, monitoring, and alarm systems
• Specifications of contaminant testing of pipelines
• Reinforcement of the importance of cleanliness of materials and components and of the completed system
• Guidance on maintenance and ongoing verification

Standards are coming to life with the introduction of the CSA Z7396.1 Interactive Standard, now available on the Apple iTunes store. You can access all of the standard's content through your Apple iPhone or iPad and enjoy dynamic navigation which saves the history of your page references for easy access to cross referenced sections of the standard. Other features include hyperlinks to regulator documents, colour image galleries and examples of critical equipment, gas flow animations and demonstrations and a ‘select and share’ content feature.

Download the Z7396.1 Interactive Standard on the App Store

Preface

This is the third edition of CSA Z7396.1, Medical gas pipeline systems - Part 1: Pipelines for medical gases, medical vacuum, medical support gases, and anaesthetic gas scavenging systems. It supersedes the previous edition, published in 2009 under the title Medical gas pipeline systems - Part 1: Pipelines for medical gases and vacuum. It is comparable in scope to ISO 7396-1, Medical gas pipeline systems - Part 1: Pipeline systems for compressed medical gases and vacuum, and ISO 7396-2, Medical gas pipeline systems - Part 2: Anaesthetic gas scavenging disposal systems, but contains requirements to reflect Canadian practices and safety considerations.

Scope

1.1

This Standard specifies safety requirements for pipelines for medical gases, medical vacuum, medical support gases, and anaesthetic gas scavenging systems in health care facilities, both public and private. It applies to all facilities providing health care services, regardless of type, size, location, or range of services, including, but not limited to

(a) acute care hospitals;

(b) in-patient continuing care hospitals;

(c) long-term care facilities;

(d) community-based providers;

(e) leased/rental suites in office buildings; and

(f) ambulatory and outpatient care clinics (e.g., day surgery, endoscopy clinics, dentists' offices, and doctors' offices).

1.2*

This Standard is intended for use by anyone involved in the design, installation, commissioning and testing, documentation, operation, and maintenance of pipelines for medical gases, medical vacuum, medical support gases, and anaesthetic gas scavenging systems. The requirements cover

(a) the design of systems to ensure the continuous supply of gas or vacuum in normal condition or in single fault condition;

(b) the selection of materials and components;

(c) the non-interchangeability of equipment between different gas systems and services;

(d) the cleanliness of materials and components and of the completed system;

(e) installation procedures for supply systems and pipelines;

(f) the configuration of system components;

(g) control, monitoring, and alarm systems;

(h) the markings and information to be supplied by the manufacturer or installer;

(i) contaminant testing of pipelines;

(j) the final testing of each medical gas pipeline prior to its use in patient care to ensure that it contains only the specified gas; and

(k) maintenance and ongoing verification.

1.3

This Standard applies to pipeline systems for

(a) medical gases or medical gas mixtures, including

(i) oxygen USP;

(ii) oxygen 93 USP;

(iii) medical air USP;

(iv) nitrous oxide USP;

(v) carbon dioxide USP;

(vi) helium USP;

(vii) oxygen USP/nitrous oxide USP mixtures;

(viii) helium USP/oxygen USP mixtures; and

(ix)* other medical gases;

(b)* medical support gases, including

(i) instrument air; and

(ii) nitrogen NF;

(c) medical vacuum; and

(d) anaesthetic gas scavenging systems (AGSSs).

1.4

This Standard does not provide specific requirements for hyperbaric chambers connected to medical gas pipeline distribution systems. See Clause 7.6.4 for the hyperbaric demarcation point.

Note: Requirements for hyperbaric chambers are provided in CSA Z275.1.

1.5

This Standard does not provide specific requirements for oxygen concentrator supply systems connected to medical gas pipeline distribution systems.

Note: Requirements for oxygen concentrator supply systems for connection to the oxygen pipeline distribution systems described in this Standard are provided in CAN/CSA-Z10083.

1.6

This Standard does not apply to veterinary and animal research facilities.

Note: The relevant requirements of this Standard, particularly those regarding safety, should be incorporated in the design, installation, and maintenance of piping systems in veterinary and animal research facilities. These systems should be inspected and tested by inspection bodies.

1.7

In this Standard, shall is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; should is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and may is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard.

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (nonmandatory) to define their application.

1.8

The values given in SI (metric) units are the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. Unless otherwise specified, pressures and vacuum in this Standard are expressed as gauge pressure (i.e., atmospheric pressure is defined as 0).