A health facility’s medical gas system is a critical lifeline, bringing air, nitrous oxide for anesthesia, and pure oxygen for patients. Nitrogen is also piped through the facility to operate surgical power tools.

These systems are not only used in hospital operating rooms, but can be found in doctors’ and dentists’ offices, outpatient clinics, veterinary clinics, and nursing homes.

Patients’ lives depend on the proper operation of medical gas systems. Mistakes made in the installation and maintenance of medical gas piping systems can result in patients’ deaths.

All medical gas piping installers must have an acceptable knowledge of medical gas code requirements, as well as knowledge of medical gas piping systems, medical gas components, and associated equipment. They must be experienced craftsmen who are certified in the cleaning, installation and brazing standards needed to ensure patients’ safety. These piping installers receive at least 40 hours of instruction on medical gas installation methods and maintenance techniques.

Certified medical gas piping installers are fully trained to meet the national standard for health care facilities — ANSI-NFPA 99 — a code put forth by the American National Standards Institute and the National Fire Protection Association.

ARC has four certified medical gas installers: Kip Gendron, Tim Kingsbury, Brent Knapp, and Adam Pierson.