This article is part of a series authored by Ryan Kelley, CHS, HC-S and published by the Hyperbaric Certification Commission.

This post is meant for Hyperbaric professionals and new aspiring chamber operators. The intention of this post is for educational purposes, and any statements in question should be referred to your facility's Safety Director/ Coordinator and or your facility's medical director. With that said, let's explore this subject together

Like my previous posts, I like to give some sort of background information about the subject matter, and I purposely left some of the content out of my prior post so that we can take a deeper dive in this post.

NFPA 99

The NFPA 99 is a valuable resource to any hyperbaric professional, and a copy should be on your bookshelf for reference. Essentially, the NFPA 99 aims to provide a comprehensive framework for safe hyperbaric operations, minimize risks associated with fire, explosion, and electricity, and ensure staff safety. Depending on your facilities, AHJ (Authorities having Jurisdiction) will decide which version of the NFPA you will employ at your facility. NFPA99, specifically chapter 14, addresses fire safety and other safety hazards in hyperbaric facilities. It covers aspects such as construction, fire protection systems (sprinklers, extinguishers, etc.,) electrical safety, oxygen and medical gas systems, and operational procedures within the hyperbaric environment. It also emphasizes the importance of recognizing and mitigating hazards associated with hyperbaric chambers, including increased pressure, elevated oxygen levels, ignition sources, and the decompression process. The UHMS strongly advocates for compliance with the NFPA for hyperbaric facilities.

GO-NO-GO List

Your facility should have a GO-NO-GO-LIST, and it should consist of what you will let into your chamber and what is a hard no, under no circumstances, will this material or product be let into your chamber. If you have questions about what is allowed and what isn't allowed, MEDFAQS on the UHMS website has a lot of helpful questions and answers from trusted and knowledgeable individuals.

Establish a Risk assessment protocol:

If your facility doesn't already have a risk assessment protocol, it would be wise to establish that. What should be measured in a risk assessment? Some items to consider including are fire hazards, mechanical hazards, and physiological hazards. A hyperbaric risk assessment evaluates the potential threats associated with introducing items into a hyperbaric environment.

How to determine if something is safe.
Reach out to the manufacturer regarding any wound care products or medical devices. Another helpful contact would be other HBO sites, especially if they are within your organization. Use an assessment tool to help with a decision when you don't have answers from the manufacturer or other trusted HBO sites. When reaching out to the manufacturer, have the product model and/ or serial number handy. Talk to the product engineers, if applicable. Always ensure receiving a copy or email from the company about the safety of the product or medical device for a hyperbaric environment.

Whose responsibility is it to know what can and can't go into your chamber?
Everyone who can operate your chamber! This includes those that have been through a hyperbaric training program and is certified by one of the UHMS recognized certifying agencies. It would also include someone who is aspiring to be certified and hasn't met the certifying qualifications yet. I highly recommend that you also seek out your facility's hyperbaric safety director/ coordinator for any questions or concerns out of your wheelhouse. Or, when in doubt, leave it out of your chambers. It's better to leave something out that could potentially be hazardous than to guess and have something catastrophic happen. Arming all hyperbaric staff and ancillary staff with safety knowledge is vital, and there are a couple of ways to do that: hyperbaric safety training is available within multiple entities by trusted experts. 

"When in doubt, leave it out."

Safety training and continuing education.
Safety training will teach you the why, what, and how to be prepared. It will also help with mitigating any potential hazards or risks in your hyperbaric program. Now, a certificate of added qualification is available to CHT, CHRN, ACHRN, CHWS and CHS. This program is called Hyperbaric Certified Safety HC-S©. It's a detail-oriented measurement of one's safety skills done in phases.

• Phase one: Learning from Hyperbaric Facility Safety, 2nd Edition (a book of safety knowledge.) After which you will be tested on your knowledge of that literature via essay questions.
• Phase two: Next, it's on to the skills assessment. This is where you'll get to show your knowledge to the Hyperbaric experts. This portion is graded as well. 
• Phase three: You tackle the test of everything you've learned during your safety journey. 

After passing all 3 phases, you'll gain the designation HC-S and be considered a leader in hyperbaric safety.

In conclusion.
Being educated in hyperbaric safety is what everyone who operates a hyperbaric chamber, or is involved in hyperbaric medicine in some way, should strive to master. Safety should be the most important aspect in your hyperbaric program, and arming yourself and your colleagues is another way you can lead a safe, healing environment for your patients and protect the integrity of our industry. 

Continue your education in the field of hyperbaric medicine with theHyperbaric Certified - Safety certificate of added qualification. Find more details and enrollment here https://gethcc.com/certifications/hyperbaric-certified-safety-hc-s.html