Question:

Are all zone valve boxes in category 1 facilities, required to be monitor with an area alarm panel?

Please review the following

NFPA 99 Code 2018 Edition:

5.1.1.2

Category 1 piped gas or piped vacuum system requirements shall be applied where any of the following criteria is met:

(1) General anesthesia or deep sedation is performed as defined in 3.3.68.1 and 3.3.68.2:

(2) The loss of the piped gas or piped vacuum systems is likely to cause major injury or death of patients, staff, or visitors. 5.1.1.2

(3) The facility piped gas or piped vacuum systems are intended for Category 1 patient care space per 3.3.140

NFPA 99 Code 2021 Edition

5.1.1.2

Category 1 piped gas or piped vacuum system requirements shall be applied where any of the following criteria is met:

(1) General anesthesia or deep sedation is performed as defined in 3.3.68.1 and 3.3.68.2:

(2) The loss of the piped gas or piped vacuum systems is likely to cause major injury or death of patients, staff, or visitors. 5.1.1.2

NO PART (3)

NEW for NFPA 99 Code 2021 Edition is Section #5.1.1.6:

N 5.1.1.6

Category 1 systems shall be permitted to serve spaces identified as Category 1, Category 2, or Category 3.

I'm not sure I agree, but am open to poking holes in my logic.

Following is the text from NFPA 99, which requires area alarms for Anesthetizing locations and Category 1 "Spaces".  And as Al mentioned Category 1 "systems" can serve Category 1, 2, or 3 "spaces".  The hospital could designate areas of the hospital other than Category 1 (i.e. sleep lab that has oxygen).  This could be considered a Category 2 "space" served by Category 1 "systems" with a zone valve as required for all outlets/inlets and NOT be required to have an area alarm panel.

That's been my interpretation with the newer language in the 2021 edition.

5.1.9.4 *  Area Alarms.

Area alarm panels shall be provided to monitor all medical gas, medical–surgical vacuum, and piped WAGD systems supplying the following: 

1. (1)

   Anesthetizing locations where moderate sedation, deep sedation, or general anesthesia is administered

2. (2)*

   Category 1 space

OK: 

1 vote is a yes, all zones require an area alarm panel per NFPA 99 2021 EDITION.

1 vote is a no, not all zones require an area alarm panel per NFPA 99 2021 EDITION.

1 vote is undetermined per NFPA 99 2021 EDITION

So, I will re-state the question.

An existing NFPA 99 Category 1 Facility.

Is to add a new X-Ray Room with a new zone valve box with one room with a single oxygen outlet only. The PE is asking if this new oxygen only single zone valve box, is required to include an area alarm panel?

Per the 2021 Edition of NFPA 99?

Please vote.

YES ( this zone requires an area alarm panel )

NO ( this zone does not require am area alarm panel )

What will the impact to the patient be if the oxygen is lost while they are undergoing care inside of this x-ray room?

Will the loss of gas result in:

1.) major injury or death

2.) minor injury

3.) not likely to cause injury, but may cause discomfort

4.) no impact on patient care

Don:

The Figure #A 5.1.4 is nice and thanks for posting it (your picture did not show the notes) In a review of note #2, NFPA has listed here requirements based on critical care locations. Unfortunately, in the newer NFPA 99 Codes within main document, Critical Care Location are no longer listed or defined.

(it was listed in older editions in the definitions under Patient Care Area )   

This got me reading deeper in the Annex.

I now see a better explanation of the wording PATIENT CARE CATEGORY

# 1, 2 & 3 SPACES – A 3.3.140.

To all please review and read these section plus the notes #2 in A 5.1.4:

With this I believe, one could debate that NOT ALL ZONE VALVE BOXES are required to be alarmed with an area alarm panel.

( i.e. A X-Ray Room, A Bio-Med Room, A Simulation Center )

Annex A is not a part of the requirements of this NFPA document but is included for informational purposes only material, numbered to correspond with the applicable text paragraphs.