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Author: Laura Frederick
Cylinder Handling After a Natural Disaster
The Category 4 storm that made landfall into Louisiana Sunday afternoon is a reminder of the damage and destruction that natural disasters like hurricanes can cause our communities. Ida’s force led to catastrophic damage from its wind, rain and powerful storm surge. Life threatening storms like Ida can result in exposing a cylinder to a variety of hazardous conditions. These conditions can include floodwater submersion, impact from debris, exposure to foreign contaminants like mud, sewage, and oil or grease; damage from falling, etc. The Compressed Gas Association released a safety alert that recommends the best practices for handling cylinders that have been exposed to a natural disaster like a hurricane, tornado, fire, earthquake, flooding, etc. According to CGA (Compressed Gas Association), if cylinders have been exposed to adverse conditions, you should contact emergency responders or the cylinder supplier for further instruction. Cylinders with obvious significant damage or that are leaking should only be addressed by emergency responders with HAZMAT training or the cylinder supplier. Contact information for the cylinder supplier is listed on the label as shown in Figure 1a. If a label is not present, the cylinder neckring shown in Figure 2 can be used to identify the cylinder
Applied Announces Launch of OxySafe2™
Westlake, OH – August 18, 2021 – Applied Home Healthcare Equipment, a long-trusted resource for oxygen filling, technical and regulatory support for DME and HME providers, has announced the release of their newest model of their popular thermal shut-off device OxySafe2™. The new version provides two directional protection against oxygen fires caused by patients smoking, using candles, stove-top ranges or other open flames while receiving oxygen therapy. Such fires are particularly prevalent in situations where oxygen therapy is provided in the home environment where there is limited patient supervision, though it may occur in environments like healthcare facilities and nursing homes. Jim Christ General Manager of Applied Home Healthcare Equipment said “OxySafe has always been an important and reliable device for our providers who want to protect their patients from the dangers of home oxygen fires. We are excited to introduce this product line improvement to the OxySafe in order to help in the mitigation of oxygen fires.” OxySafe2 is a thermal fuse designed to stop the flow of gas in the event that the downstream cannula or supply tube is ignited, and will meet VA, ISO and other regulatory requirements. With OxySafe2, the PVC tube is incline
Using Carriers, Bags or Carts When Handling Cylinders
Drivers, respiratory therapists, warehouse personnel, and others who handle compressed gas cylinders should do so using the proper equipment to ensure safe movement of the
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COVID-19 Resources: Keep It Clean
With the number of maintenance chemicals and standards out there, it can be a little overwhelming trying to figure out what's the right chemical to use on your equipment. There are two types of cleaning that are pertinent for oxygen equipment, cleaning and disinfecting with oxygen compatible cleaners and cleaning equipment for oxygen service. 1. Cleaning with oxygen-compatible cleaners Oxygen can react with any residue, particles, dirt, oil, grease or other contaminants that are left on the surface of equipment which is in direct contact with oxygen, such as the cylinder valve or surface. The body of a cylinder or a regulator for example, should be cleaned with chemicals that will leave no residue behind that may cause an interaction with oxygen that may result in combustion. 2. Cleaning equipment for oxygen service Surfaces that come into direct contact with oxygen, such as the valve opening on a cylinder, the inside of a cylinder or an oxygen connection must not only be cleaned with an oxygen compatible cleaner, but also with special equipment and processes to ensure that the surface has no particles left behind. If there are even small particles on the wetted surfaces such as the valve, the speed of the oxygen flowing through the valve, could ignite the particles. The
Are You Meeting Pre-Fill Requirements?
When filling medical oxygen cylinders it is critically important now more than ever to perform pre-fill odor testing as part of the required nine (9) pre-fill checks. We wanted clarify and stress the importance of the absolute safety and regulatory requirement of pre-fill odor testing every medical oxygen and air cylinder prior to filling. The latest USP 99 monograph dropped the requirement for post filling odor testing, however we strongly recommend continuing to perform the post odor testing as well. Please review the pre-fill steps below and ensure you are following this cGMP requirement. Pre-Fill Inspection Verify hydrostatic test date is current Aluminum cylinders must be within 5 years Steel cylinders must be within 10 years if star is present Verify correct cylinder color In United States oxygen color is green In Canada and many other countries oxygen color is white Perform hammer test on steel cylinder only. Aluminum cylinders are exempt. Strike outside of cylinder with a hammer and listen for ringing or bell sound Perform visual inspection of the cylinder body Ensure no external damage or any type of residue on the cylinder Perform visual inspection of the cylinder valve Ensure no external damage or any type of residue on the valve Perform a label examination Ensure a product label exists and that it is not damaged If damaged or unreadab
Portable Oxygen Concentrators: What are they and how do they work?
Portable oxygen concentrators, or POCs, are lightweight medical devices that dispense oxygen while being highly portable. They allow those prescribed medical oxygen to carry their own oxygen supply with them wherever they go, eliminating dependence on bulky and heavy oxygen tanks. The lightest POC on the market, the OxyGo FIT, weighs just 2.8 pounds. In the past decade POCs have made an enormous contribution to the effectiveness of oxygen delivery therapy. They are easier for patients to use and less expensive for providers to service. Before their development, patients needing oxygen at home depended on heavy oxygen tanks to dispense their oxygen. They were tethered to these tanks and could not leave home easily. Their only option to get out of the house was to attach themselves to smaller oxygen tanks on wheels and drag those tanks around with them. Such tanks can still be used today but they are obtrusive, call attention to the person using them and have restrictions as to where they can be taken. POCs have become an oxygen patient’s gateway to freedom. They do this by making their own oxygen from the air around them. POCs often enable oxygen patients to enjoy activities and exercises that were difficult or not possible while using oxygen tanks. This gives these patients a welcome sense of freedom that enhances their quality of life. Studies show that POCs help patients live longer lives by promoting mobility and exercise
Did you know? Home oxygen fires claim a life every four days in the US
The true death toll of home oxygen fires across the United States is likely to be higher than previous estimates by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a new study - The prevalence and impact of home oxygen fires in the USA – has revealed. The study examines media reports of home oxygen fire incidents in the US between December 2017 and August 2019. It identifies news reports on 311 separate home oxygen fires over a 20-month period. These incidents resulted in a total of 164 deaths, 71 serious injuries, and 119 minor injuries, which amounts to more than one death every four days. Exploding cylinders are referenced in a third of all reported home oxygen fires, posing a significant risk to third parties, including the emergency services. In fact, 11 of the reported deaths were third parties including family members and other residents. A firefighter also fell victim to a home oxygen fire when a propane tank exploded. This new data points towards a material public health problem in the US. Home oxygen fires represent a much higher risk in the United States than the UK, where stakeholders work together to reduce risk and where the fitting of oxygen firebreaks (also known as thermal fuses) is mandatory. In fact, an American oxygen user is 10 times more likely to die in a home oxygen fire than in Japan, and 20 times more likely than in England, Although the statistics are already worryingly high, it is likely that they
Hurricane Season: Are your Patients Prepared?
Hurricane Season is here - are you and your patients prepared? • Hurricane season in the Southeastern United States runs from June 1 through November 30, but peaks from mid-late August through September • Hurricanes can cause massive damage to roadways, which makes it very hard to access patients • Power outages can cause patients to not be able to charge important medical devices such as their POC's With power outages being a common occurrence during hurricanes many patients have no way to charge medical devices. Ensuring the patients have a way to change their POC's battery and having extra battery life can help tremendously during such stressful times. We have assembled the following kits for those in hurricane paths to be able to provide to a patient. Please see the kits below for all of the members of the OxyGo family to help your patients keep going! We have also included a checklist to make sure patients are as prepared as they can be. Click here to download our one page checklist for patient preparedness. OxyGo FIT Hurricane Bundle PN: H-OFR-2000-KIT Includes: • OxyGo FIT 4.5 hour battery* • OxyGo FIT External Battery Charger • OxyGo FIT DC Power Supply • OxyGo FIT AC Power Supply OxyGo Hurricane Bundle PN: H-OFR-1000-KIT Includes: • OxyGo 10 hour battery* • OxyGo External Battery Charger • DC Power Sup
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