By Brad Keyes / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

Q: Can full oxygen cylinders be stored in a hospital soiled utility room?

A: Yes… however, anything stored in a soiled utility room is considered soiled. That would require staff to clean the O2 cylinder before using it on a patient, and the likely hood of that happening every time is not very good.

Most surveyors will have a problem with full O2 cylinders stored in a soiled utility room because of that issue and would expect the hospital to have a policy or at least a written procedure on the proper cleaning of each cylinder before use.

It is best to not store full O2 cylinders in a soiled utility room. Now, empty O2 cylinders stored in a soiled utility room should not be a problem because they would not be used on patients.

Brad Keyes, CHSP, is the owner of KEYES Life Safety Compliance, and his expertise is in the management of the Life Safety Program, including the Environment of Care and Emergency Management programs.