IHEEM AE REGISTERS
under is well known, at least for those of us dealing directly with them. These unsung heroes of the health service require all the support necessary to help them undertake the excellent work they already perform. To assist the AP in their preparation prior to their assessment, I issue each with an AP Assessment Checklist.
Other aspects of the assessment process which should be considered include:
1 How long should the assessment take? The duration of the assessment is open for debate. Currently my assessments last 3-6 hours, depending on the scale of the responsibility.
2 Where should the assessment take place?
About the author
Ian Sandford is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of IHEEM, and acts as chair of the IHEEM Registration Board for Authorising Engineers (MGPS) as a member of the Medical Gas Technical Platform. Starting his career in 1988 as a junior building services technician with Dinardo Partnership, he gained a Diploma in Building Services Engineering before moving to the Scottish health service in 1991, working with the Common Services Agency as a technical officer (Grade 3), where he became heavily involved in medical gases. In 1994 he transferred to WS Atkins, working as a senior mechanical engineer/project manager until 1999. Leaving consultancy engineering that year, he then served as a project manager for medical gas contractor, Hospital Pipeline Installations, until 2002, followed by a spell as an independent consulting engineer, before moving to Hulley and Kirkwood Consulting Engineers in 2003, where he was promoted to principal engineer, and subsequently medical gas consultant, at Hulley SGS.
Vice-chairman of the IHEEM Scottish Branch, and a member of the Health Facilities Scotland Medical Gas National Advisory Group, he was co- author of SHTM 02-01, the Scottish Medical Gas Standard Installation Specification, and the Scottish Medical Gas Standard Maintenance Specification.
22 Health Estate Journal March 2017
The assessment should be carried out within the facility in which the AP will take on AP responsibilities, initially in a private room to provide the AP with the ability to communicate freely. The AP should escort the AE to all plant areas, and provide an overview of the mains distribution. In larger hospitals, where it is impractical to do this in one day, it will be necessary to establish the AP’s knowledge of the systems via other means, e.g. schematics, floor plans, etc. (assuming the drawings are accurate). The AP will be required to demonstrate knowledge of plant operation – often the part they find difficult, generally because they are possibly not expecting such intense questioning. I believe, however, that APs should be familiar with how their plant works to ensure that they can establish a fault and discuss it with the maintenance contractors. The AP and AE will return to a private office to discuss documentation, the Permit to Work system, and Operational Policy and Procedures, etc., after which the AP will be informed if they have been successful, and, if so, will be asked if they will accept the AP role.
3 Should the AP complete an exam? I used to ask the AP to complete a multiple choice exam at the end of the assessment. However, latterly I have decided this is not necessary, since the AP has, or should have, recently completed an AP refresher course, which typically includes an exam at its
conclusion. If they have received an AP certificate, this would suggest they have completed the exam successfully. I therefore see no benefit in a one-hour exam during the assessment, and would rather discuss other site-specific matters the AP may feel they wish to seek clarification on.
Finally, I am aware of other discipline AEs who have already set up strong assessment procedures. I believe that to benefit the APs, who are usually appointed for several AP disciplines, the AP assessment process should be consistent throughout the disciplines. This is definitely worth exploring further by the AE registers.
Control of contractors
Another area where I believe AEs could provide added benefit is in the assessment of MGPS contractors. Proposals for the introduction of a national MGPS contractor register should be considered. Contractors I have discussed this with have been positive, believing this would prevent non-qualified contractors undertaking specialist medical gas work. The next considerations are how the register will be administered, and how will contractors applying be assessed?
As per the current arrangement within a healthcare facility: An AE is appointed by a Trust or Health Board.
The AE will assess the AP and recommend to the Executive Manager (EM) that the AP be appointed.
The AP will assess the CPs under their control and appoint them.
As regards the external contractors, HTM 02-01, Part B, Clause 4.44, states; ‘Where Competent Persons (MGPS) are members of a contractor’s staff, the contractor is responsible for assessing those staff and maintaining a register of Competent Persons (MGPS).’ The Note related to HTM 02-01, Part B Clause 7.55, and SHTM 02-01, Part B, Note 32, stipulate: ‘For the contractor’s staff, the Competent Person (MGPS)’s line manager’ (‘or other suitably trained and experienced person’) will carry out this interview and make the assessment as to suitability of post.’
A potential disjoint
Figure 4: This medical air emergency reserve manifold located in the same space as the medical air plant – in a relatively new facility – is non-compliant. The AE compliance survey and audit report identified this non-compliance.
If the above clause is to be consistent with the recognised AP and CP assessment process within the hospital estates and facilities department, a formal assessment of the person within the contracting company responsible for undertaking the CP assessments and appointments should be in place. There is therefore a disjoint with what is required within the healthcare facility, as described above.
It is also reasonable to assume that the
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