| (VI) Verification test requirements. Verification tests of the medical gas piping system and the warning system shall be performed on all new piped medical gas systems, additions, renovations, or repaired portions of an existing system. All systems that are breached and components that are added, renovated, or replaced shall be inspected and appropriately tested. The breached portions of the systems subject to inspection and testing shall be all of the new and existing components in the immediate zone or area located upstream of the point or area of intrusion and downstream to the end of the system or a properly installed isolation valve. (VII) Warning system verification tests. Verification tests of piped medical gas systems shall include tests of the source alarms and monitoring safeguards, master alarm systems, and the area alarm systems. (VIII) Source equipment verification tests. Source equipment verification tests shall include medical gas supply sources (bulk and manifold) and the compressed air source systems (compressors, dryers, filters, and regulators). (IX) Hospital responsibility. Before new piped medical gas systems, additions, renovations, or repaired portions of an existing system are put into use, the hospital shall be responsible for ensuring that the gas delivered at the outlet is the gas shown on the outlet label and that the proper connecting fittings are checked against their labels. (X) Written certification. Upon successful completion of all verification tests, written certification for affected piped medical gas systems and piped medical vacuum systems including the supply sources and warning systems shall be provided by a party technically competent and experienced in the field of medical gas pipeline testing stating that the provisions of NFPA 99 have been adhered to and systems integrity has been achieved. The written certification shall be submitted directly to the hospital and the installer. A copy shall be forwarded to the department by the hospital. (XI) Documentation of medical gas and clinical vacuum outlets. Documentation of the installed, modified, extended or repaired medical gas piping system shall be submitted to the department by the same party certifying the piped medical gas systems. The number and type of medical gas outlets (oxygen, vacuum, medical air, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, etc.) shall be documented and arranged tabularly by room numbers and room types. (iv) Medical gas storage facilities. Main storage of medical gases may be outside or inside the hospital in accordance with NFPA 99, §5.1. Provision shall be made for additional separate storage of reserve gas cylinders necessary to complete at least one day's procedures. (v) Multiple gas outlets on one medical gas outlet. Y-connections, "twinning," or other similar devices shall not be used on any medical gas outlet. (vi) Waste anesthetic gas disposal (WAGD) systems. Each space routinely used for administering inhalation anesthesia shall be provided with a WAGD system as required by NFPA 99, §5.1.3.7. (vii) Steam and hot water systems. (I) Boilers. Boilers shall have the capacity, based upon the net ratings as published in The I-B-R Ratings Book for Boilers, Baseboard Radiation and Finned Tube (commercial) by the Hydronics Institute Division of GAMA, to supply the normal requirements of all systems and equipment. The number and arrangement of boilers shall be such that, when one boiler breaks down or routine maintenance requires that one boiler be temporarily taken out of service, the capacity of the remaining boiler(s) shall be sufficient to provide hot water service for clinical, dietary, and patient use, steam for sterilization and dietary purposes, and heating for operating, delivery, emergency, labor, recovery, intensive care, nursery, treatment, and general patient rooms. However, reserve capacity for space heating of noncritical care areas (e.g. general patient rooms and administrative areas) is not required in geographical areas where a design dry bulb temperature equals 25 degrees Fahrenheit or higher as based on the 99% design value shown in the Handbook of Fundamentals, 2005 edition, published by ASHRAE, Inc. The document published by the Hydronics Institute Division of GAMA as referenced in this rule may be obtained by writing or calling the Hydronics Institute Division of GAMA at 35 Russo Place, P.O. Box 218, Berkeley Heights, N.J. 07922, telephone (908) 464-8200. (II) Boiler accessories. Boiler feed pumps, heating circulating pumps, condensate return pumps, and fuel oil pumps shall be connected and installed to provide normal and standby service. (III) Valves. Supply and return mains and risers of cooling, heating, and process steam systems shall be valved to isolate the various sections of each system. Each piece of equipment shall be valved at the supply and return ends except that vacuum condensate returns need not be valved at each piece of equipment. (IV) Hot water distribution systems. Hot water distribution systems for patient care areas shall be under constant recirculation to provide continuous hot water at each hot water outlet. Nonrecirculated fixtures branch piping shall not exceed 25 feet in length. Water temperature is measured at the point of use or inlet to the equipment. Tankless water system may be used at point of use. (V) Domestic hot water system. The domestic hot water system shall make provisions to limit the amount of Legionella bacteria and opportunistic waterborne pathogens. (viii) Drainage systems. (I) Above ground piping. Soil stacks, drains, vents, waste lines, and leaders installed above ground within buildings shall be drain-waste-vent (DWV) weight or heavier and shall be: copper pipe, copper tube, cast iron pipe, or galvanized iron pipe. (II) Underground piping. All underground building drains shall be: cast iron soil pipe, hard temper copper tube (DWV or heavier), acrylonitrile-butodiene-styrene (ABS) plastic pipe (DWV Schedule 40 or heavier), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pipe (DWV Schedule 40 or heavier), or extra strength vitrified clay pipe (VCP) with compression joints or couplings with at least 12 inches of earth cover. (III) Drains for chemical wastes. Separate drainage systems for chemical wastes (acids and other corrosive materials) shall be provided. Materials acceptable for chemical waste drainage systems shall include chemically resistant glass pipe, high silicone content cast iron pipe, VCP, plastic pipe, or plastic lined pipe. (ix) Thermal insulation for piping systems and equipment. Insulation shall be provided for the following: (I) boilers, smoke breeching, and stacks; (II) steam supply and condensate return piping; (III) hot water piping and all hot water heaters, generators, converters, and storage tanks; (IV) chilled water, refrigerant, other process piping, equipment operating with fluid temperatures below ambient dew point, and water supply and drainage piping on which condensation may occur. Insulation on cold surfaces shall include an exterior vapor barrier; (V) other piping, ducts, and equipment as necessary to maintain the efficiency of the system. (x) Pipe and equipment insulation rating. Flame spread shall not exceed 25 and smoke development rating shall not exceed 150 for pipe insulation as determined by an independent testing laboratory in accordance with National Fire Protection Association 255, Standard Method of Test of Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials, 2000 edition. Smoke development rating for pipe insulation located in environmental air areas shall not exceed 50. (xi) Asbestos insulation. Asbestos insulation shall not be used. (B) Plumbing fixtures. Plumbing fixtures shall be made of nonabsorptive acid-resistant materials and shall comply with the recommendations of the National Standard Plumbing Code and this paragraph. (i) Sink and lavatory controls. All fixtures used by medical and nursing staff and all lavatories used by patients and food handlers shall be trimmed with valves which can be operated without the use of hands. Blade handles used for this purpose shall not be less than four inches in length. Single lever or wrist blade devices may be used. (ii) Clinical sink traps. Clinical sinks shall have an integral trap in which the upper portion of a visible trap seal provides a water surface. (iii) Sinks for disposal of plaster of paris. Sinks used for the disposal of plaster of paris shall have a plaster trap. (iv) Back-flow or siphoning. All plumbing fixtures and equipment shall be designed and installed to prevent the back-flow or back-siphonage of any material into the water supply. The over-the-rim type water inlet shall be used wherever possible. Vacuum-breaking devices shall be properly installed when an over-the-rim type water inlet cannot be utilized. (v) Drinking fountain. Each drinking fountain shall be designed so that the water issues at an angle from the vertical, the end of the water orifice is above the rim of the bowl, and a guard is located over the orifice to protect it from lip contamination. Cont'd... |
