Quarterly Inspection / Testing for alarms (test button)

  • Tuesday, September 26, 2017 3:18 PM
    Message # 5280970
    Cary Darden (Administrator)

    I have researched NFPA 99 and found the "press the test button" requirement to have started in the 1987 edition of NFPA 99 under Annex C, however that requirement is for the test button to be pressed monthly.  For some reason several facilities have it in their policy that alarm panels must be checked on a quarterly basis and I'm trying to run down where this requirement might have come from.  


    I've checked ASSE 6000, 2012 & 2015 editions, NFPA 99 2015 all the way back to 1984 and the only quarterly requirements I see on medical gas have to do with the air intake location and gaseous hydrocarbon monitoring for oil-free rotary screw compressors.  ASSE mentions a couple more for air and vacuum systems but I wanted to see if anyone knew of another standard that called out quarterly testing of medical gas alarms?

  • Tuesday, September 26, 2017 4:14 PM
    Reply # 5281037 on 5280970
    Al Moon (Administrator)

    I agree with your research.

    But would caution the wording requirement.

    Any item listed or found within the older APPENDIX or the

    newer ANNEX are at best a recommendation only.

  • Wednesday, September 27, 2017 1:25 PM
    Reply # 5282952 on 5280970
    Cary Darden (Administrator)

    Al, that is exactly correct and I should've been more clear.  The "requirement" comes from the mandate the facility is placing on themselves by including the testing procedure in their compliance policies.  Just trying to find out if there's any substantiation for quarterly pressing of the test button or if it has been monthly all along...it appears as though it's been monthly for the past 30 years

16339 Kranker Drive, Stilwell, KS 66085

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