The Importance of Medical Gas System Testing in Healthcare Facilities
November 19, 2025
Medical gas systems play a critical role in delivering life-sustaining gases such as oxygen, medical air, nitrous oxide and vacuum to patients across various care settings. These systems are integral to everyday clinical procedures and emergency interventions, where even the slightest malfunction can put lives at risk.
To ensure system integrity, regulatory compliance and patient safety, regular testing and maintenance are essential. As part of comprehensive medical gas services, system testing verifies performance, prevents failures and supports readiness for inspections or audits.
In this article, we’ll explore why medical gas testing is a vital component of any facility’s medical gas services strategy and what healthcare teams need to consider when selecting a qualified testing provider.
What are Medical Gas Services?
Medical gas services refer to the full spectrum of activities related to the planning, installation, testing, maintenance and verification of medical gas systems in healthcare environments. These services are essential to keep systems operating reliably, meet regulatory standards and minimize the risk of gas delivery issues that could compromise patient care.
A critical element within these services is routine system testing, typically performed annually or quarterly depending on the region, or after system modifications. It ensures every pipeline and source system as well as the required redundancy systems operate as intended.
Why is testing Medical Gas Systems so important?
Routine testing of medical gas systems is not just a best practice, it’s an expectation from oversight organizations like CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, US) and The Joint Commission, US and the National Health Service (NHS), UK. These agencies/bodies require healthcare facilities to demonstrate that medical gas systems are tested at regular intervals, typically annually, by qualified professionals.
Planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and annual testing is about more than compliance; it's about protecting patients from avoidable risk. Failures in gas delivery can lead to oxygen shortages, contamination, or alarm malfunctions, all of which could result in serious harm. Properly conducted testing helps detect early signs of system degradation or noncompliance before they lead to emergencies.
When you hire a provider to perform your medical gas services, you trust them to be your system expert identifying potential issues before they escalate. That makes the qualifications of your testing team just as important as the testing itself.
What is typically tested in a Medical Gas System?
During a comprehensive test as part of professional medical gas services, technicians typically assess:
- Gas purity (qualified pharmacist)
- No cross connection and flow rates for each gas type
- Correctly functioning air compressors, dryers, vacuum pumps and anesthetic gas scavenging pumps
- Pipeline pressure stability and leak testing
- Zone valve and outlet functionality
- Alarm systems, including master alarms and local indicators
- Automatic manifold and switchover performance
- Backup systems, including emergency oxygen supply connections
One critical aspect often overlooked is the functionality of master alarm signals. These alarms are vital, they notify staff of pressure drops, supply failures, or switchover errors. It’s not enough to simply log their presence, each alarm should be manually tripped and verified during testing.
Testing frequency, industry guidelines, and benefits of proactive testing services
How often should testing be done?
Most regulatory bodies, particularly in the United States, require annual testing of medical gas systems at a minimum. However, more frequent testing may be necessary following system upgrades, repairs, or expansions to ensure continued compliance and patient safety.
In the UK, larger hospitals typically adhere to a quarterly inspection schedule. In non-critical areas, such as general wards, components like outlets, valves, and alarms are often tested on a rotating basis, 25% each quarter to ensure full coverage over the year. In contrast, critical care areas, such as operating theatres and intensive care units, undergo comprehensive testing during each quarterly visit. Additionally, all source equipment including manifolds, compressors, and vacuum systems is typically inspected every quarter to maintain operational integrity. These testing intervals and procedures are outlined in key international standards such as:
- NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code (2012 edition and beyond)
- HTM 02-01 (UK)
- ISO 7396-1 (Europe)
These standards also define who is qualified to carry out these services.
Who can perform medical gas testing?
Since 2012, NFPA 99 has mandated that individuals performing maintenance or verification must hold the appropriate credential:
- ASSE 6030 – Medical Gas Verifier
- ASSE 6040 – Medical Gas Systems Maintenance Personnel
UK HTM 02-01 Part B has mandated that individuals performing maintenance or verification must hold the appropriate credential:
- Competent Person MGPS (CP)
Whether testing is done by in-house facility staff or outsourced to a third-party provider, the personnel must be certified to ensure that testing is carried out according to proper procedures.
If your own team handles maintenance, they must either be trained on your installed equipment or hold an ASSE 6040 credential. If you work with a third party, ask for proof that their technicians are credentialed and follow documented testing protocols.
Why it pays to be proactive
Too often, facility managers base their provider selection solely on cost but when it comes to medical gas services, the lowest price may not reflect the highest quality.
Ask yourself:
- Is this provider qualified and credentialed?
- Will they provide detailed documentation?
- Will they test alarm functionality thoroughly or simply check them off a list?
A proactive and qualified provider will help your facility stay compliant, safe, and audit-ready protecting both your patients and your reputation.
Because every detail counts
Annual testing is a foundational part of responsible medical gas services. It ensures system reliability, supports compliance with industry standards, and most importantly protects the lives of those who rely on these systems every day.
If you’re overseeing the testing and maintenance of medical gas systems in your facility, it’s essential to work with certified professionals who follow rigorous procedures and bring deep expertise to every inspection.
After all, if your own family member were a patient in your facility, wouldn’t you want their safety to depend on a system that’s been tested, verified and maintained by the best?