Technical knowledge base

Materials, standards and practical compendia on medical gas and compressed air installations.

Gazy medyczne w praktyce (GMWP). Zeszyt 1 — przewodnik INMED i Medpipe
Publication

Medical gases in practice. Volume 1 (Medical Gases in Practice, GMWP)

A practical guide for designers, installers and technical and medical staff — a compendium of knowledge about medical gas installations, prepared by experts INMED S.A. and Medpipe Sp. z o.o. 138 pages, print edition. The publication is known in the industry by the abbreviation GMWP (Gazy Medyczne w Praktyce).

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Articles

23 articles
Medical oxygen from two suppliers — what the standard says and where the risk really lies Medical oxygen from two suppliers — what the standard says and where the risk really lies In brief. Standard PN-EN ISO 7396-1:2016-07 contains no criterion on the identity or number of parties supplying medical gas — supplying one installat... Read more
Inventory of medical gas installations — where to start when the documentation does not exist Inventory of medical gas installations — where to start when the documentation does not exist In brief. An inventory of a medical gas installation without surviving documentation starts with establishing the system boundaries and identifying th... Read more
A medical gas installation is not a single device — what a pipeline system certificate does not cover A medical gas installation is not a single device — what a pipeline system certificate does not cover In brief. A certificate for a “medical gas pipeline system” does not cover the supply sources — the installation is an assembly of devices within the ... Read more
Contaminated medical vacuum pipeline — why blowing through, steam and spirit do not work Contaminated medical vacuum pipeline — why blowing through, steam and spirit do not work In brief. A medical vacuum installation is a class IIa medical device within the meaning of Regulation MDR (EU) 2017/745. A contaminated installation ... Read more
The medical compressed air supply source — what PN-EN ISO 7396-1 requires, point by point In brief. A medical compressed air supply system according to the standard PN-EN ISO 7396-1:2016-07 requires at least three supply sources, two indepe... Read more
A ward that is to be converted into an ICU in a crisis A ward that is to be converted into an ICU in a crisis In brief. Critical zones are designed for crisis demand, not everyday demand — a room that is to take ventilators needs a many times higher oxygen flo... Read more
A 1990s installation without CE — legal, but not unconditionally A 1990s installation without CE — legal, but not unconditionally In brief. An installation built in accordance with the regulations in force on the day of its construction remains legal — the CE marking requirement ... Read more
In a hospital, oxygen is a medicinal product, not a technical utility In a hospital, oxygen is a medicinal product, not a technical utility In brief. Medical oxygen is a registered medicinal product — it has a name, composition, indications and an expiry date; the pipeline is only the rout... Read more
What you can no longer check once the ceiling is closed What you can no longer check once the ceiling is closed In brief. Before the ceiling is closed, you check what no visual inspection will later verify: pipeline routes and supports, the quality of the brazed... Read more
A full oxygen tank is not yet continuity of supply A full oxygen tank is not yet continuity of supply In brief. Continuity of supply requires three sources: primary, secondary and reserve — with automatic changeover, because in a failure nobody will ma... Read more
Who will hear the alarm at three in the morning Who will hear the alarm at three in the morning In brief. Standard PN-EN ISO 7396-1:2016-07 distinguishes clinical alarms (danger to the patient — immediate reaction of medical staff) and operationa... Read more
The document without which a hospital merely uses the installation instead of managing it The document without which a hospital merely uses the installation instead of managing it In brief. The Operational Management Documentation (DZE) is a set of procedures, registers and technical data describing who, when and on what basis m... Read more
Medical gas qualifications that do not exist Medical gas qualifications that do not exist In brief. There are no state-issued “medical gas qualifications”; SEP qualifications confirm energy-sector competences, not competences for medical ga... Read more
Construction acceptance does not release the installation for clinical use Construction acceptance does not release the installation for clinical use In brief. Construction acceptance confirms conformity with the design and the construction regulations — it does not release a medical gas installatio... Read more
The same investment, two VAT rates The same investment, two VAT rates In brief. The supply of a medical device carries an 8% VAT rate, general construction works — a 23% rate; the same investment can therefore have two r... Read more
In a medical gas tender, an excessive requirement is a mistake too In a medical gas tender, an excessive requirement is a mistake too In brief. A requirement disproportionate to the subject of the contract restricts competition just as really as a requirement set too low lowers safet... Read more
"The installation has CE" — a sentence that confirms nothing "The installation has CE" — a sentence that confirms nothing In brief. The CE marking confirms the conformity of only the device for which it was issued — the boundaries are set by the scope of the notified body... Read more
Ten control questions about a medical gas installation — and what accreditation says about it In brief. Ten control questions about a medical gas installation can be checked in an hour, with nothing more than the documentation binder. Each ques... Read more
Inspection, maintenance, repair or upgrade — who may perform what and what goes into the documentation In brief. The standard and practice distinguish six types of activities on a medical gas installation: routine checks, routine maintenance, periodic i... Read more
Who in the hospital is responsible for the medical gas installation — the Authorised Person (AP) and Annex G In brief. Annex G to the standard PN-EN ISO 7396-1:2016-07 defines eight roles in the management of a medical gas installation: EM, FEM, AP, CP, QC, D... Read more
Loss of continuity of oxygen supply — supply sources, reserves and risk analysis according to Annex F In brief. The scenarios of losing the oxygen supply are described in the risk analysis table in Annex F to the standard PN-EN ISO 7396-1:2016-07; the ... Read more
Cross-connections and gas interchange — why the test must be repeated after every modification In brief. The cross-connection test is repeated in full after every modification of the pipeline system — this is required by point 12.6.3.2.5 of the ... Read more
Inspections of medical gas installations are a statutory obligation, not a line in the maintenance budget In brief. A medical gas pipeline system is a medical device within the meaning of Regulation MDR (EU) 2017/745. The obligation to keep documentation o... Read more