In our prior blog post about Medical Gas Certifications and Qualifications , we discussed that recent NFPA99 codes are requiring those who are maintaining medical air and medical vacuum systems, to be properly qualified and credentialled. These qualifications include an ASSE 6040 certification from an accredited source.
The objective is for your workers to become well versed enough to maintain your medical air and vacuum source equipment. The ASSE 6000 series, including 6040, focuses primarily on medical gasses and the distribution of gasses within a facility. The series deals with hard medical gasses such as oxygen, nitrogen, nitrous oxide and the like. The course has little to no tutoring on the care and maintenance of medical air or medical vacuum source equipment.
The American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) mandates that once a medical gas system is placed in service it becomes the facility’s responsibility to test, document the performance of, facilitate or perform maintenance and repairs. However, the ASSE 6040 training is so vague surrounding life support source equipment, that it is questionable as to whether or not a worker without prior experience could possibly be qualified to understand or maintain source equipment after taking the course.
The same applies to other outside service companies that are jumping to acquire ASSE 6040 credentials. If they have no source equipment background or service/repair experience, taking the ASSE 6040 will do them no good. Just carrying the credential doesn’t mean you know what you are doing when it comes to service, repair or maintaining life-support source equipment to the equipment manufacturers required maintenance standards.
We have witnessed severe errors, damaged equipment, potential fire hazards and other faulty maintenance that has put hospital facilities in danger. These maintenance procedures were performed by 6040, NITC credentialed medical gas companies and others by accredited hospital maintenance personnel.
It is important to understand that, just like everything else, people focus their efforts on becoming experts in a particular field. airandvac.com has been in the business of fabricating, installing, repairing, rebuilding, servicing and maintaining all makes and models of medical air and medical vacuum systems since 1977. We carry all the necessary credentials and insurances. Our service technicians are ASSE 6040, HIPAA and Bloodborne Pathogens certified, have undergone strict healthcare background checks and have all current disease inoculations. We are members of NFPA, we have a California Contractor’s License and well over a hundred years of combined experience.
What this means to you is that you get the best expertise and service your money can buy. And you never have to worry about an inspection because we’ve got you covered. We’ll get your equipment running like it’s meant to run and we’ll do it at a reasonable price. Contact us and we’ll do a free equipment consultation for your facility.
And, by the way, we also maintain dozens of other types of medical and specialty equipment, such as: control air, instrument air and vacuum, laboratory air and vacuum, robotics compressed air and vacuum systems, dental air and vacuum, surgical vacuum, veterinary vacuum, oxygen generation systems and other special process systems. Take a browse through our web site. Give us a call if you have questions or we can help in any other way.
