Oxygen safety at home: rules for patients and caregivers
Home oxygen is safe when it is used correctly. Oxygen does not burn on its own, but it makes anything that is burning ignite more easily and burn hotter and faster. These habits protect patients, caregivers and visitors.
Keep fire and heat away
- Never smoke, vape or allow anyone else to smoke in the home while oxygen is in use.
- Keep oxygen equipment and tubing well away from open flames, gas stoves, candles, fireplaces and space heaters. Follow the distance in your equipment instructions.
- Put up a “No smoking, oxygen in use” sign at your entrance.
- Make sure you have working smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher.
Watch what touches the skin and equipment
- Avoid petroleum-based creams or lip balms on the face or near the nose. Ask your physician or pharmacist about water-based alternatives.
- Keep oil and grease away from oxygen equipment and connections.
Set up the equipment correctly
- Place a concentrator where air can flow freely around it, not in a closet or against curtains.
- Plug a concentrator directly into a wall outlet unless your instructions say otherwise.
- Store cylinders upright and secured so they cannot fall, away from heat and direct sunlight.
- Route tubing so no one trips over it, and check it regularly for kinks.
Know your prescription
Use the flow rate your physician prescribed. Do not change it without talking to your physician. If you feel short of breath, confused or unusually sleepy, call your physician. In an emergency, call 911.
Every Vybes MedSolutions oxygen delivery includes hands-on safety training. Contact us if you have questions about your equipment.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your physician about your situation.