Medical Gas Pipeline Installation SWMS

Suits plumbers and medical gas installers fitting oxygen, nitrous oxide, medical air and vacuum pipework in hospitals and clinics. It covers planning with the facility, infection control, cylinders, pipe preparation, brazing with a nitrogen purge, oxygen enrichment, outlets, pressure testing and handover.

Installing medical gas pipework in a building is construction work (WHS Regulation s 289), and a SWMS is required before high risk construction work starts (s 299). The pressurised gas piping item is pre-ticked. Tick the fall of more than 2 metres item where ceiling and riser work is above that height, and the energised electrical item where work is on or near live installations.

New to SWMS? Read What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?

What Is Covered In Our Medical Gas Pipeline Installation SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the work with the facility” to “Clean up and reinstate the area”. The hazards and controls include:

• Oxygen enrichment and fire
• Brazing fire near linings and outlets
• Brazing fumes
• Nitrogen purge and contamination of the pipe
• Cylinder handling and storage
• Working in a live hospital
• Infection control
• Isolating live pipeline zones
• Cross-connection of gases
• Pressure testing
• Falls at ceiling level
• Asbestos in older buildings

High Risk Construction Work

These high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are already ticked because they are part of this work. Tick any others that apply to your job:

• Is carried out on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping

Licences, Training and Competency

• Medical gas work in a building (constructing, installing, replacing, repairing, altering, maintaining, testing or commissioning a medical gas system) is carried out by a business holding the Queensland Building and Construction Commission contractor’s licence of the class Mechanical services – medical gas (Queensland Building and Construction Commission Regulation 2018, Schedule 2, Part 47), and the individuals doing the work hold the Mechanical services – medical gas occupational licence (Schedule 3A, Part 1)
• Installers trained and assessed as competent in medical gas pipeline installation, brazing with a nitrogen purge and testing to AS 2896 Medical gas systems – Installation and testing of non-flammable medical gas pipeline systems
• Brazing procedures qualified for medical gas pipework and operators qualified to them
• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work
• Facility induction, including its infection prevention and control requirements
• Workers who may be involved in asbestos-related work in older buildings are trained in the identification and safe handling of, and suitable control measures for, asbestos and ACM (WHS Regulation s 445)
• First aid certificate for the person appointed as the job’s first aider

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Queensland Building and Construction Commission Regulation 2018 (Qld): Mechanical services – medical gas licence
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Welding Processes Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• AS 2896 Medical gas systems – Installation and testing of non-flammable medical gas pipeline systems

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (14 A4 landscape pages). Type your business, client and job details once and they fill in on every page, with a space for your logo
• 9 job steps for this work, each with its hazards, controls, initial and residual risk scores and the person responsible
• PPE listed for this job: safety boots; safety glasses; welding-rated gloves; non-flammable work clothing
• Emergency arrangements for: fire, oxygen leak and person overcome by gas
• Plus the parts every Work Safety QLD SWMS shares, from the s 291 checklist to the worker sign-on sheet (see the layout in our free SWMS template)

Adjust it for your site, plant and crew, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.

Checked against the Queensland laws and codes of practice listed above. Last reviewed November 2026.