Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-36 - Safety standards - Compressed air work › Section 296-36-215 - Medical supervision and medical and first-aid facilities - Medical locks

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1)
Requirement and location.
When the pressure in a working chamber
			 exceeds 13 pounds per square inch gage, a suitably constructed medical lock
			 shall be provided and maintained and used solely for the treatment and
			 examination of workmen working in compressed air. It shall be situated adjacent
			 to a medical emergency room but separated therefrom to provide privacy for
			 patient and doctor during treatment or examination.
(2)
Design and equipment.
(a) The medical lock shall have not less than
			 6 feet of clear head room and shall consist of not less than two compartments
			 so that the lock can be entered while under pressure. It shall be adequately
			 ventilated, air conditioned, heated and lighted and be constructed and finished
			 as to be readily kept in a clean and sanitary condition.
(b) The medical lock shall be designed for an
			 operating pressure of 75 pounds per square inch gage pressure.
(c) It shall be equipped with pressure gages
			 readily observed from inside and outside of the medical lock indicating the
			 pressure on the inside of the lock.
(d) The air line supplying the medical lock
			 shall be equipped with valves so arranged that the pressure may be controlled
			 from inside or outside the lock.
(e) Oxygen inhalation apparatus shall at all
			 times be maintained ready for use in the lock, but the source of supply shall
			 be located outside of the lock. Oxygen and oxy-helium mixtures shall not be
			 used until proper diagnosis is made by the appointed physician and shall be
			 used only under his direction and supervision. The air compressing plant used
			 for supplying compressed air to the medical lock shall have sufficient capacity
			 to raise the pressure in the medical lock from zero pounds to 75 pounds per
			 square inch gage within 5 minutes and shall be equipped to prevent excessively
			 high temperature within the lock. The temperature within the lock shall not
			 exceed 90 degrees F. at 75 pounds per square inch gage pressure.
(f) The medical lock shall be provided with
			 suitable equipment including a couch not less than 6 feet in length, blankets,
			 food lock, efficient means of verbal communication and of giving nonverbal
			 signals between the inside and outside of the lock, and between the two
			 compartments, and a window or windows through which workmen in either
			 compartment can be observed from outside. Telephone communications shall be
			 provided between the inside and outside of the medical lock. The telephone
			 circuits shall, however, be so arranged that completion of calls originating
			 inside the lock and destined for subscribers of the commercial communication
			 system or calls the origin of which is from a subscriber of the commercial
			 communication system and destined for the medical lock, must be completed by
			 the lock attendant.
(g) All
			 necessary apparatus, instruments, medical supplies and equipment as required by
			 the appointed physician shall be kept in the lock at all times.