Licensing requirements for medical gas work

Licensing requirements

In NSW, people undertaking the following work in medical and health facilities are required to hold a licence:

• medical gasfitting work
• medical gas technician work
• mechanical services and medical gas work

This came into effect from 1 October 2022.

In addition, obligations have been placed on relevant persons to provide notice of any defective medical gas installations to the occupier of the land where the medical gas installation is.

• The laws introduced a robust licensing framework to help ensure public safety where medical gases are used including private and public hospitals and aged care facilities.
• An endorsed contractor licence or a supervisors or tradesperson certificate will be required for working on a medical gas installation, which is the pipes, hoses or lines used to convey or control the supply or removal of medical gases in medical and health facilities.
• Where there is a serious medical gas incident, the Secretary of the Department of Customer Service must be notified within 24 hours.

Reporting serious incidents

Report serious medical gas incidents by calling 13 10 50.

The following information will need to be provided:

• name of person
• contact details of the person (email/phone numbers)
• name of medical facility where the incident occurred
• address of the medical facility where the incident occurred
• location at the medical facility
• incident details
• date
• time
• description of the incident.

More information

• A licence for medical gasfitting work is required for the work done to install the pipes. This includes the construction, installation, replacement, repair, alteration, maintenance, testing, or commissioning of a medical gas installation and includes incidental design work.
• A licence for medical gas technician work is also required for the commissioning, testing, verification, or certification of a medical gas installation.
• A third category of licence, ‘mechanical services and medical gas work,’ has been established. This also allows a person to do medical gasfitting work.
• Licence holders are required to follow the relevant Australian Standards, International Standards, and any standards or requirements set out by the Secretary of the NSW Ministry of Health, as published on the Ministry of Health website. Significant penalties apply for non-compliance.
• A person is not permitted to do both medical gasfitting work and commission work on the same medical gas installation.

When did these changes start?

From 1 October 2022, a licence is required to carry out:

• medical gasfitting work
• medical gas technician work
• mechanical services and medical gas work.

Relevant legislation

• Home Building Act 1989
• Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2017