The Florida Senate

489.1136  Medical gas certification.--

(1)(a)  In addition to the certification or registration required to engage in business as a plumbing contractor, any plumbing contractor who wishes to engage in the business of installation, improvement, repair, or maintenance of any tubing, pipe, or similar conduit used to transport gaseous or partly gaseous substances for medical purposes shall take, as part of the contractor's continuing education requirement, at least once during the holding of such license, a course of at least 6 hours. Such course shall be given by an instructional facility or teaching entity that has been approved by the board. In order for a course to be approved, the board must find that the course is designed to teach familiarity with the National Fire Prevention Association Standard 99C (Standard on Gas and Vacuum Systems, latest edition) and also designed to teach familiarity and practical ability in performing and inspecting brazing duties required of medical gas installation, improvement, repair, or maintenance work. Such course shall issue a certificate of completion to the taker of the course, which certificate shall be available for inspection by any entity or person seeking to have such contractor engage in the business of installation, improvement, repair, or maintenance of a medical gas system.

(b)  Any other natural person who is employed by a licensed plumbing contractor to provide work on the installation, improvement, repair, or maintenance of a medical gas system, except as noted in paragraph (c), shall, as a prerequisite to his or her ability to provide such service, take a course approved by the board. Such course shall be at least 8 hours and consist of both classroom and practical work designed to teach familiarity with the National Fire Prevention Association Standard 99C (Standard on Gas and Vacuum Systems, latest edition) and also designed to teach familiarity and practical ability in performing and inspecting brazing duties required of medical gas installation, improvement, repair, or maintenance work. Such course shall also include the administration of a practical examination in the skills required to perform work as outlined above, including brazing, and each examination shall be reasonably constructed to test for knowledge of the subject matter. The person taking such course and examination must, upon successful completion of both, be issued a certificate of completion by the giver of such course, which certificate shall be made available by the holder for inspection by any person or entity seeking to have such person perform work on the installation, improvement, repair, or maintenance of a medical gas system.

(c)  Any other natural person who wishes to perform only brazing duties incidental to the installation, improvement, repair, or maintenance of a medical gas system shall pass an examination designed to show that person's familiarity with and practical ability in performing brazing duties required of medical gas installation, improvement, repair, or maintenance. Such examination shall be from a test approved by the board. Such examination must test for knowledge of National Fire Prevention Association Standard 99C (Standard on Gas and Vacuum Systems, latest edition). The person taking such examination must, upon passing such examination, be issued a certificate of completion by the giver of such examination, and such certificate shall be made available by the holder for inspection by any person or entity seeking to have or employ such person to perform brazing duties on a medical gas system.

(d)  It is the responsibility of the licensed plumbing contractor to ascertain whether members of his or her workforce are in compliance with this subsection, and such contractor is subject to discipline under s. 489.129 for violation of this subsection.

(e)  Training programs in medical gas piping installation, improvement, repair, or maintenance shall be reviewed annually by the board to ensure that programs have been provided equitably across the state.

(f)  Periodically, the board shall review training programs in medical gas piping installation for quality in content and instruction in accordance with the National Fire Prevention Association Standard 99C (Standard on Gas and Vacuum Systems, latest edition). The board shall also respond to complaints regarding approved programs.

(2)(a)  On any job site where a medical gas system is being installed, improved, repaired, or maintained, it is required that a person qualified under paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph (1)(b) must be present. When any brazing work is performed by a person qualified under paragraph (1)(c), a person qualified under paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph (1)(b) must be present.

(b)  It is the responsibility of the licensed contractor to ascertain whether members of his or her workforce are in compliance with paragraph (a), and such contractor is subject to discipline under s. 489.129 for violation of this subsection.

(3)  The term "medical" as used in this section means any medicinal, life-supporting, or health-related purpose. Any and all gaseous or partly gaseous substance used in medical patient care and treatment shall be presumed for the purpose of this section to be used for medical purposes.

History.--s. 27, ch. 98-419; s. 35, ch. 2000-154; s. 14, ch. 2001-63.