How long should a PSA commissioning test run?

The Global Fund guideline asks for at least 24 hours of uninterrupted running at the plant's maximum flow and recommends 3 days.

Who verifies the installation?

The WHO interim technical specifications for PSA plants (2020, superseded in 2024) stated that conformity of the installation shall be verified by a certified third party.

How is a PSA oxygen plant commissioned?

Q: What happens during the commissioning of a PSA oxygen plant, and what is checked?

A PSA oxygen plant is commissioned by testing it in operation and documenting the results before handover. Global Fund guidance sets the minimum: at least 24 hours of uninterrupted running at rated maximum flow with purity above 90% throughout, a handheld analyser check, leak, alarm and changeover tests, training and a formal handover.

What happens during the commissioning of a PSA oxygen plant, and what is checked?

ISO 7396-1:2016 covers the testing, commissioning and documentation of medical gas pipeline systems, and the WHO interim technical specifications for PSA plants (2020, superseded by WHO's technical specifications of 31 December 2024) stated that conformity of the installation shall be verified by a certified third party. For the plant itself, the commissioning guideline written by Build Health International for the Global Fund's Project BOXER (28 August 2024) lists the minimum results to document; the manufacturer's own requirements come on top. A plant is not considered commissioned until these requirements are documented.

What is tested

Area	Minimum check in the Global Fund guideline
Air compressor and dryer	Pressure dew point under 5 °C; compressor output pressure meets the plant's requirement
Oxygen generator	At least 24 hours of uninterrupted running at the rated maximum flow (3 days recommended); purity above 90% at all times; on-screen purity confirmed with a handheld analyser at the tank outlet, at bedside outlets and from a recently filled cylinder; output pressure as in the manual; CO and CO2 to International Pharmacopoeia limits where sensors are fitted
Booster compressor	Cylinder filling rate within 10% of the manufacturer's stated rate; automatic shut-off at the set pressure
Pipeline	24-hour pressure test at 20% above operating pressure, with a fall of no more than 10%; changeover to the backup manifold and low pressure alarm tested; purity at outlets of 90% or more; cross-connection test one gas at a time; particulate check at the last outlet of each branch
Whole installation	Leak tests from compressor to bedside outlet; shut-off valves, isolation valves and alarms tested; plant room between 5 and 40 °C or the manufacturer's range during testing
Site and power	Plant housing at least 10 m from fire ignition and pollution sources; supply voltage measured on all phases; backup power sized for start-up and running loads, with the same phase rotation as the primary supply

Training and handover

The supplier trains the hospital's technical staff on how the plant works and how to operate it, including the daily checklist, drain cleaning, how to call the service provider and which actions would void the warranty. Commissioning ends with a formal handover meeting at which both parties sign off. The hospital receives, in the country's working language, the manuals, a record of any spare parts delivered, a preventive maintenance schedule with the service interval and parts kit for each item of equipment, the service contacts, and the warranty and service contract.

With ULTRAOX plants

ULTRAOX SC and ST plants are parameterised and tested in the factory and arrive ready to start; on large plants, installation, initial start-up and staff training are supervised by Ultra Controlo factory technicians. They deliver 94% (±1%) oxygen, within the 93% (±3%) tolerance the Global Fund checklist uses for the 24-hour test. See also what daily checks an operator does.