NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code for medical gases

Scope

NFPA 99 establishes criteria for levels of health care services or systems based on the risk they pose to patients, staff or visitors in health care facilities. WHO's Foundations of medical oxygen systems (2023) names NFPA 99, together with ISO 7396-1 and HTM 02-01, as one of the three reference standards widely used for medical gas pipeline system (MGPS) design.

Edition and status

• NFPA lists the 2027 edition as current (checked on 22 October 2026).
• Two tentative interim amendments to the 2027 edition, TIA 27-1 and TIA 27-2, were issued on 20 August 2026.
• Older editions are still quoted: the WHO technical specifications for PSA oxygen plants (2020, superseded by WHO's technical specifications of 31 December 2024) referenced the 2018 edition. Name the edition year in any specification.

What it means for hospitals and designers

• Requirements scale with risk: the level of a system depends on the risk it poses to patients, staff or visitors.
• A specification should name the framework it follows. In Europe the pipeline reference is EN ISO 7396-1:2016 + A1:2019, with NHS England's HTM 02-01 as guidance in England; in the United States it is NFPA 99.
• Canada has its own pipeline standard, CSA Z7396.1:22, which CSA Group describes as the governing standard for medical gas installations in health care institutions.