GNYHA is sharing important guidance on evaluating and maintaining medical oxygen systems and preventing excess ice accumulation, particularly as these systems are increasingly overburdened. With demand at extremely high levels, hospital facilities and engineering staff are strongly encouraged to monitor and address these situations. The attached document, COVID-19 Readiness: Bulk Hospital Vaporizer Guidance, is from AirGas, a vendor that services several hospitals. A brief summary is below. Please check with your hospital’s supplier guidance to ensure appropriate maintenance of your systems.
Airgas Bulk Hospital Vaporizer Guidance
Airgas, an Air Liquide company, has provided guidance on ice build-up on bulk oxygen vessel-related vaporizers. If left un-remediated, this could potentially reduce capacity under high oxygen flow demand levels. Airgas advises hospitals to routinely visually inspect the vaporizers, particularly during humid weather conditions, to monitor the level of icing. If ice build-up exceeds 50% of the unit, it should be brought to the attention of your facility’s bulk oxygen supplier to discuss potential mitigation strategies.