| (ix) Dead-end piping (risers with no flow, branches with no fixture) shall not be installed. In any renovation work, dead-end piping shall be removed. Empty risers, mains and branches installed for future use are permitted. (B) Fire sprinkler systems. When provided, fire sprinkler systems shall comply with the requirements of NFPA 101, §9.7, Automatic Sprinklers and Other Extinguishing Equipment, and the requirements of this subparagraph. All fire sprinkler systems shall be designed, installed, and maintained in accordance with the requirements of NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, 2002 Edition, and shall be certified as required by §131.147(c)(1)(C) of this title (relating to Construction, Inspection, and Approval of Project). (C) Piped nonflammable medical gas and clinical vacuum systems. Piped nonflammable medical gas and clinical vacuum system shall be designed, installed, and certified in accordance with the requirements of NFPA 99, §5.1 for Level 1 Piped Systems and the requirements of this subparagraph. (i) Nonflammable medical gas and clinical vacuum outlets shall be provided in accordance with Table 3 of §131.148(c) of this title. (ii) Medical gas piping systems including source tanks and related piping shall be installed only by, or under the direct supervision of, a holder of a master plumber license or a journeyman plumber license with a medical gas piping installation endorsement issued by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. (iii) Prior to closing of walls, the installer shall perform an initial pressure test, a blowdown test, a secondary pressure test, a cross-connection test, and a purge of the piping system as required by NFPA 99. (iv) Qualifications verification testing shall be performed and inspected by a party, other than the installer, installing contractor, or material vendor. Testing shall be conducted by a medical gas system verifier registered with an acceptable organization by this department and is technically competent and experienced in the field of medical gas and vacuum pipeline testing and meets the requirements of The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Personnel Standard 6030, Professional Qualifications Standard for Medical Gas Systems. The document published by ASSE Personnel Standard 6030, Professional Qualifications Standard for Medical Gas Systems as referenced in this rule may be obtained by writing or calling The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) at ASSE International Office, 901 Canterbury, Suite A, Westlake, Ohio 44145, telephone (440) 885-3040. (v) Upon completion of the installer inspections and tests and after closing of walls, verification tests of the medical gas piping systems, the warning system, and the gas supply source shall be conducted. The verification tests shall include a cross-connection test, valve test, flow test, piping purge test, piping purity test, final tie-in test, operational pressure tests, and medical gas concentration test. (vi) Verification testing of the medical gas piping systems and the warning systems 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 all be 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) 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) Before new piped medical gas systems, additions, renovations, or repaired portions of an existing system are put into use, facility medical personnel 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) 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 facility and the installer. A copy shall be available at final department construction inspection. (xi) 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 (e.g., oxygen, vacuum, medical air, nitrogen, nitrous oxide) shall be documented and arranged tabularly by room numbers and room types. (D) Main storage of medical gases may be outside or inside the facility 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. (E) Multiple gas outlets on one medical gas outlet. Y-connections, "twinning," or other similar devices shall not be used on any medical gas outlet. (2) Steam and hot water systems. (A) Boilers. When provided, the 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 heating, hot water, and steam requirements of all systems and equipment. 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, New Jersey 07922, telephone (908) 464-8200. (i) Boiler feed pumps, heating circulating pumps, condensate return pumps, and fuel oil pumps shall be connected and installed to provide normal and standby service. (ii) 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. (B) When required, the facility shall ensure compliance with Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Boiler Section, Texas Boiler Law (Health and Safety Code, Chapter 755, Boilers), which requires certification documentation for boilers to be posted on site at each boiler installation. (3) Building sewers shall discharge into a community sewage system. Where such a system is not available, a facility providing sewage treatment shall conform to applicable local and state regulations. (A) Above ground piping. Soil stacks and roof drains 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 Schedule 40 polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) pipe. (B) All underground building drains shall be cast iron soil pipe, hard temper copper tube (DWV schedule 40 or heavier), acrylonitrile-butodiene-styrene (ABS) plastic pipe, or PVC, VCP, CPVC pipe. Underground piping shall have at least 12 inches of earth cover or comply with local codes. Existing buildings or portions of buildings that are being remodeled need not comply with this subparagraph. (C) 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 borosilicate glass pipe, high silicone content cast iron pipe, polypropylene plastic pipe, or plastic lined pipe. (D) Drainage and waste piping shall not be installed above or below ceilings in trauma rooms/areas and sterile processing rooms unless precautions are taken to protect the space below from leakage and condensation from necessary overhead piping. Secondary protection shall be required to drain. Any required secondary protection shall be labeled, "code required secondary drain system" every 20 feet in a highly visible print or label. (4) Thermal insulation for piping systems and equipment. Asbestos containing insulation materials shall not be used. (A) 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; Cont'd... |
