# Medical Gas ASSE 6010 Installer Re-Certification



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

For some of you who are medical gas certified, you know that every {3} yrs. we have to re-certify the ASSE 6010 Installer. Different from the brazer certification which is to be re-certified each {6} months.


Per the ASSE 6000, a 4-hour course is now required before signing up for the ASSE 6010 Installer re-certification exam. Whereas in years past, there was no 4-hour course required. Only sign up, take and pass the 6010 Installer exam every {3} years.


I did an internet search and couldn't find this required 4-hour course. A company up in NH said they should have this course on their website in about a week. But my certification expires soon, towards the end of Feb. {this month} so I was getting nervous.


I called the NITC in CA and they have a link on their website to NFPA's website. As you know, the NFPA {Nat'l. Fire Prevention Association} writes and publishes the medical gas code book.


The NFPA does indeed give the required 4-hour course on their website. So for those of you who may need to take this course, there is no need to sweat, the NFPA's website has all the information. Most medical gas plumbers do these re-certifications through their local union {as I did in the past} or through their employer. But for those who are self-employed, it may be a bit confusing. That's why I am posting this.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

With proof of having taken and passed the required 4-hour course, then the applicant can move on to scheduling the ASSE 6010 med. gas Installer re-certification exam.


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## jeffreyplumber (Dec 7, 2009)

as long as your med gas hasent expired for over a year you can do the recert . unless that changed or if you fail the test you have time to retake it. without having to do the whole 24 hours over


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

jeffreyplumber said:


> as long as your med gas hasent expired for over a year you can do the recert . unless that changed or if you fail the test you have time to retake it. without having to do the whole 24 hours over


I used to med gas certified but I gave it up when they changed it to all this nonsense I just said the heck with this,to much money and time for this nonsense,I have taken the full med gas course and the brazing part also but when it expired in 6months all the guys gave it up,to much hassle,they have really made med gas into a money-making ordeal and that all it about,I know a hospital that it’s main oxygen line was regular soldered yrs ago and was strapped and ran down the side of the blding on the gutter and still there today,so it is just a money thing now


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

sparky said:


> I used to med gas certified but I gave it up when they changed it to all this nonsense I just said the heck with this,to much money and time for this nonsense,I have taken the full med gas course and the brazing part also but when it expired in 6months all the guys gave it up,to much hassle,they have really made med gas into a money-making ordeal and that all it about,I know a hospital that it’s main oxygen line was regular soldered yrs ago and was strapped and ran down the side of the blding on the gutter and still there today,so it is just a money thing now


















I agree with fact that having to re-certify the brazer certification every {6} months is a bit too much, but it is easier to maintain a certification as opposed to trying to get the certification back after letting it expire. I would rather maintain it.


When I was working out of local 630 {W. Palm Beach, FL} I was on the bench at the time {un-employed by the union at the time} when the bus. agent called me and asked me if I had the med. gas certification. Since I did, he sent me to work at a hospital being built. Without that cert., I probably would not have been called to work. So I am of the opinion that one should keep their certs. just in case. One never knows.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Tommy plumber said:


> I agree with fact that having to re-certify the brazer certification every {6} months is a bit too much, but it is easier to maintain a certification as opposed to trying to get the certification back after letting it expire. I would rather maintain it.
> 
> 
> When I was working out of local 630 {W. Palm Beach, FL} I was on the bench at the time {un-employed by the union at the time} when the bus. agent called me and asked me if I had the med. gas certification. Since I did, he sent me to work at a hospital being built. Without that cert., I probably would not have been called to work. So I am of the opinion that one should keep their certs. just in case. One never knows.




Just like me I pay every year a 100$ for my gas ticket and oil ticket. I haven't done any gas pipe in over 10 years! It was really tough to get the gas one and we were not allowed to do the oil class and exam at the union if you didn't have your gas ticket. So I just keeping paying now.


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## jeffreyplumber (Dec 7, 2009)

well Tommy , hope you found a place to take 4 hr refresher course. Definately hard to keep current and costly if your not in the union. Classes seem to be few and far between. Im guessing its gotta be thru NITC. Or Call lu 630 training center


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

jeffreyplumber said:


> well Tommy , hope you found a place to take 4 hr refresher course. Definately hard to keep current and costly if your not in the union. Classes seem to be few and far between. Im guessing its gotta be thru NITC. Or Call lu 630 training center




















Indeed I did take the 4-hour course. Then I took the re-cert. exam and passed. Good for another {3} years.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Update: 


I ordered the new 2018 NFPA 99 Medical Gas codebook but it wasn't delivered in time for me to take to my re-certification exam. No problem I thought, I'll just take along an older version of the codebook. 


When I get to the testing center {the exams are on computer and can be in any office building} the lady reads from a list of 'approved' books that can be brought into the exam. Being an open-book exam I really want the code book with me even if it's an outdated version. But the outdated code book that I brought isn't approved. 


Only the 2018 version was allowed. To my surprise other books are allowed. NFPA 55 {compressed gases}, some Beacon Maedes book of some sort{some med. gas authority} and some other book I think she said. But rules are rules and she wouldn't let me take my 2015 code book into the room.


So I had to wing it. Fortunately for me I just passed. The min. to pass is an { 80} and that's what I got. There are {40} questions total. You need to get a least {32} correct giving you an {80}.


Don't be a dummy like me and show up either with the wrong books or no books!.....:cursing:


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Tommy plumber said:


> Update:
> 
> 
> I ordered the new 2018 NFPA 99 Medical Gas codebook but it wasn't delivered in time for me to take to my re-certification exam. No problem I thought, I'll just take along an older version of the codebook.
> ...



Best thing to do is everyone stop doing med gas,I mean everyone and they will do away with all this nonsense crap when they can’t get us slaves to work on it


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## roving plumber (Apr 25, 2011)

Hey Tommy, is getting the med gas cert just a matter of testing for it?
I'm wondering if it would pay to get, and maintain, one for a plumber who isn't doing much commercial. Do you see any guys that farm themselves out to companies that just need a certified installer?


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

roving plumber said:


> Hey Tommy, is getting the med gas cert just a matter of testing for it?
> I'm wondering if it would pay to get, and maintain, one for a plumber who isn't doing much commercial. Do you see any guys that farm themselves out to companies that just need a certified installer?









To be certified, you have to take the class which I can't remember how many hours; {30} maybe? I don't recall. Then, braze {2} 1 1/2" copper pipes together which is sent to NITC in California to make sure it was done properly. Paying out of pocket may be a bit pricey.

Then of course maintain the certs. which won't pay for themselves if you don't use them.

Usually guys who work for a large outfit that does commercial jobs like hospitals would maintain the certs.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

bumping this thread


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Are any of you guys medical gas certified?
I just took my installer re-certification exam and failed....
The test seemed harder than in previous years. {maybe it's me getting older and old age lowering my IQ} This installer re-certification is done every {3} years.


I got a 65 on it which is a failing grade. Damn if those questions didn't have me hunting in my code book. Had to look up nearly all questions. 

Yes the exam is open-book. I feel like a dummy failing an open-book exam.

Has anyone taken the 2021 medical gas installer re-certification class lately? How was the exam?


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Tommy plumber said:


> Are any of you guys medical gas certified?
> I just took my installer re-certification exam and failed....
> The test seemed harder than in previous years. {maybe it's me getting older and old age lowering my IQ} This installer re-certification is done every {3} years.
> 
> ...


I say screw med gas,I have ran miles of oxygen,vacuum,and all the other med gas lines over the yrs but after some idiot figured out you can make big money off the testing crap it changed and now it's mostly union shops doing med gas nonsense,there is nothing to med gas,it's so easy to install but as usual some jackass has to screw everything up


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

sparky said:


> I say screw med gas,I have ran miles of oxygen,vacuum,and all the other med gas lines over the yrs but after some idiot figured out you can make big money off the testing crap it changed and now it's mostly union shops doing med gas nonsense,there is nothing to med gas,it's so easy to install but as usual some jackass has to screw everything up


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## TerryTotoSucks (5 mo ago)

A kid in Louisiana died after a plumber got the nitros mixed up with the oxygen at a dentist office.

The dentist thought he was giving the kid oxygen but was giving more nitros. I believe the exam room had two nitros lines rather than one oxygen and one nitros. 

The kid died. The state went after the plumber on manslaughter charges because he wasn’t med gas cert. 

It’s been a while, not sure if the story is online or not.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

TerryTotoSucks said:


> A kid in Louisiana died after a plumber got the nitros mixed up with the oxygen at a dentist office.
> 
> The dentist thought he was giving the kid oxygen but was giving more nitros. I believe the exam room had two nitros lines rather than one oxygen and one nitros.
> 
> ...


The med gas certifier should be responsible as the plumber is also,he clearly did not know what he was doing and not being certified will cost him dearly,that should have been caught way before ever used on a patient,many blame to go around on this job


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## TerryTotoSucks (5 mo ago)

sparky said:


> The med gas certifier should be responsible as the plumber is also,he clearly did not know what he was doing and not being certified will cost him dearly,that should have been caught way before ever used on a patient,many blame to go around on this job


I’ve done several dentist office remodels. None of them had inspections and all the work was done at night and on Fridays - Sunday because they closed those days. 

I’m the only one who threw the flag and said “ I don’t do medical gas “

Terry don’t “ F around and find out “ with medgas. Terry called his friend that goes med gas in local hospitals and he did the nitro and oxy.

Warning: Profanity on the link.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Per the NFPA 99 medical gas code book, the different gases are not interchangeable due to having gas-specific connectors on them. For example, one should not be able to connect an oxygen line to a bottle of nitrous oxide. But it is possible for a person to alter items so that a mix-up can occur.


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## TerryTotoSucks (5 mo ago)

Tommy plumber said:


> Per the NFPA 99 medical gas code book, the different gases are not interchangeable due to having gas-specific connectors on them. For example, one should not be able to connect an oxygen line to a bottle of nitrous oxide. But it is possible for a person to alter items so that a mix-up can occur.


I think the mix up was when they did some copper brazing in the attic space. Connected the wrong pipes…..


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

TerryTotoSucks said:


> I think the mix up was when they did some copper brazing in the attic space. Connected the wrong pipes…..


Yep some idiot wasn’t paying attention


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Medical gas carries some hefty liability and risk along with it.

When I was in the union hall for some class {I dont remember what class} there was a fellow plumber telling me about a guy that had worked for them in the past who turned off a med gas valve for some reason at a hospital and he inadvertently shut off a medical gas { I dont recall him saying what gas exactly } to a woman who nearly died. I think that they were doing a tie-in or something of the sort. The fellow plumber went on to tell me that the hospital personnel were frantically scrambling to get oxygen cylinders connected for her since they didn't know who shut off the gas nor did they know what valve to open back up. 
As we plumbers all know, in a mult-story building, you can shut off a valve on the 3rd floor and that affects everybody on the 4th floor.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

__





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If you were involved in this Medical Gas Line Mix Up case, contact our Medical Malpractice Attorney at the Law Office of Goza & Honnold LLC.




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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Tommy plumber said:


> Medical gas carries some hefty liability and risk along with it.
> 
> When I was in the union hall for some class {I dont remember what class} there was a fellow plumber telling me about a guy that had worked for them in the past who turned off a med gas valve for some reason at a hospital and he inadvertently shut off a medical gas { I dont recall him saying what gas exactly } to a woman who nearly died. I think that they were doing a tie-in or something of the sort. The fellow plumber went on to tell me that the hospital personnel were frantically scrambling to get oxygen cylinders connected for her since they didn't know who shut off the gas nor did they know what valve to open back up.
> As we plumbers all know, in a mult-story building, you can shut off a valve on the 3rd floor and that affects everybody on the 4th floor.


The med gas shut off valves should be in particular corridor and clearly marked,that guy must not have got with maintenance or engineering before shutting the valve off,what idiot does this???


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