Pipeline systems
Manifold pigtail
In Global Fund oxygen plant documents, a manifold pigtail is the connection between the valve outlet of a gas cylinder and a cylinder manifold: at each cylinder change, the pigtails are disconnected from the cylinders being replaced and connected to the new ones.
The Global Fund template standard operating procedure for oxygen plant operators (9 December 2025) sets out the change: close the manifold valve and the valves of the connected cylinders, slowly disconnect the pigtails from the cylinder valve outlets and connect them to the new cylinders. It asks for clean nitrile gloves and a clean, oil-free spanner of the right size, not an adjustable one, to avoid damaging the pigtail. The Global Fund daily maintenance checklist for PSA plants asks whether the manifold pigtails are in good working condition, with one box per week for that question.
WHO's Foundations of medical oxygen systems (2023) lists leaks from damaged hoses, flexible pigtails, pipes, valves and poor connections among the common causes of oxygen fires and explosions in health facilities.
Sources
- Global Fund / Build Health International, template SOP for oxygen plant operators (French, 9 December 2025), section 12.2
- Global Fund / Build Health International, PSA plant daily maintenance checklist, p. 2
- WHO, Foundations of medical oxygen systems (2023)
Ultra Controlo figures come from its technical datasheets. Third-party facts were read at the source on the date shown.