Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 22, § 70849 - Gases for Medical Use

(a) Provision shall be made for safe handling and storage of medical gas cylinders.

(b) Transfer of gas by hospital personnel from one cylinder to another is prohibited except when approved by the Department.

(c) Gases for medical use include carbon dioxide, cyclopropane, ethylene, helium, nitrous oxide, oxygen, helium-oxygen mixtures and carbon dioxide-oxygen mixtures.

(d) All anesthesia machines and related equipment shall be so constructed that connections for different gases are not interchangeable.

This requirement shall be accomplished by installing permanent fittings as indicated below:

(1) Yoke connections of anesthesia machines and flush outlet valves for small compressed gas cylinders (Style E and smaller) shall conform with the pin index safety system contained in "V-1: Standard for Compressed Gas Cylinder Valve Outlet and Inlet Connections" 15^th Edition (2021), by the Compressed Gas Association and the American National Standards Institute, hereby incorporated by reference.

(2) Valve outlet connections for large cylinders (Style F and larger) for oxygen and nitrous oxide shall conform with the standards contained in "V-1: Standard for Compressed Gas Cylinder Valve Outlet and Inlet Connections" 15^th Edition (2021), by the Compressed Gas Association and the American National Standards Institute, hereby incorporated by reference. Standard connection No. 540 shall be used with oxygen cylinders and standard connection No. 326 shall be used with nitrous oxide cylinders. Cylinders for medical gases, other than oxygen and nitrous oxide, used with anesthesia machines shall be limited to Style E and smaller.

(3) Removable exposed threaded connections, where employed in medical gas piping systems and equipment used in conjunction with resuscitators and oxygen therapy apparatus, shall be provided with noninterchangeable connections which conform with pamphlet "V-5: Diameter-Index Safety System (Noninterchangeable Low Pressure Connections for Medical Gas Applications)" 7^th Edition (2019) by the Compressed Gas Association, hereby incorporated by reference.

(4) Station outlets from piped oxygen and nitrous oxide systems shall conform with the standards contained in "NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code" (2012) by the National Fire Protection Association, hereby incorporated by reference.

(5) Removable connection hoses from station outlets or cylinders to yokes of anesthesia machines shall be fitted with permanently connected fittings to match the standards listed above in paragraphs (1), (2), (3) and (4).

(e) The piped oxygen or nitrous oxide system(s) shall be tested in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association Bulletin, NFPA 99, referred to above, and a written report shall be maintained in each of the following instances:

(1) Upon completion of initial installation.

(2) Whenever changes are made to a system.

(3) Whenever the integrity of a system has been breached.

(4) At least annually.

(f) Oxygen Equipment.

(1) Vaporizer bottles shall be sterilized after each use.

(2) Only sterile fluids shall be used in vaporizer bottles.

(3) Vaporizer bottles shall be changed at least every 24 hours.

Notes

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 22, § 70849

1. Amendment of subsections (d)(1)-(4) and (e) and new NOTE filed 5-30-2023; operative 5-30-2023. Submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 1275(g) (Register 2023, No. 22).

Note: Authority cited: Sections 20, 21, 1275 and 1276, Health and Safety Code. Reference: Sections 1250 and 1254, Health and Safety Code.

1. Amendment of subsections (d)(1)-(4) and (e) and new NOTE filed 5-30-2023; operative 5/30/2023. Submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 1275(g) (Register 2023, No. 22).