Fire Safety Standards for Hyperbaric Facilities

The death of an Italian boy and his grandmother resulting from an explosion and fire at a hyperbaric facility in Florida tragically demonstrates the consequences that can result from lapses in vigilance when working with oxygen under pressure. A press release issued by a Florida law firm states that a Miami television station reported that the private hyperbaric center had unresolved safety problems. WPLB reported that there were building, fire safety, and FDA violations with the facility's oxygen tanks and hyperbaric chambers.

What are the national standards for hyperbaric chamber safety? The FDA's database of consensus standards lists the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) as the recognized source of safety standards for hyperbaric medical facilities. The relevant section is NFPA Standard 99, Health Care Facilities, Chapter 20, Hyperbaric Facilities.