Citation

Feeley TW, McClelland KJ, Malhotra IV. Lancet 1975; 1(7922): 1416.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1975, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

49572

Abstract

Many hospitals throughout the world obtain oxygen from a supply of bulk liquid oxygen which is delivered throughout the hospital via pipelines. An incident in which, through a series of malfunctions, dangerously high pressure developed in the hospital oxygen pipeline is described. The oxygen delivery systen described lacked a relief valve to vent excessive pressures. In North America such a relief valve is required on all oxygen delivery systems. An alarm system is also required which detects rises in pipeline pressures. Regulations in the U.K. do not provide for pressure-relief valves on liquid oxygen pipeline systems. In the U.K. there is also no regulation on alarms to warn of high pipeline pressures. High-pressure accidents are a real threat to patients and hospital staff unless proper safeguards are built into oxygen delivery systems.

Keywords: Pipeline transportation

Language: en