There is no single answer that fits every chamber — but there is a clear framework. UK hyperbaric chamber maintenance is driven by three things working together: the manufacturer's schedule, your written scheme of examination under PSSR, and the day-to-day checks your operators run. Here's how they fit.
Operators sometimes ask "is it an annual service?" The honest answer is that a safe chamber relies on overlapping intervals, not one date in the calendar:
Before treatment sessions, trained operators should run through a documented pre-use checklist: door seal condition, gauge function, oxygen analyser reading, BIBS (built-in breathing system) operation, intercom, lighting, fire-suppression readiness and emergency dump/exhaust. These take minutes and catch the majority of day-to-day faults before they matter.
This is the scheduled engineer visit. Depending on chamber type and usage, a typical PPM cycle runs monthly, quarterly or annually — often a mix (lighter monthly checks, a fuller annual service). It covers pressure-bearing components, valves, viewports, BIBS regulators and masks, gas distribution, oxygen analysers, control systems and electrics. Each visit should produce a signed engineer's report and update the chamber's maintenance log.
This is the legal one. The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 require a written scheme of examination, drawn up by a competent person, that specifies what parts of the pressure system are examined and how often. The chamber must then be examined in line with that scheme — most commonly every 12 months, though the scheme can specify shorter or longer intervals for specific components. This examination is independent of routine servicing.
The exact dates that apply to your chamber come from its manufacturer documentation and its written scheme — not from a generic rule of thumb. If you don't currently have a written scheme of examination, that's the first thing to put right.
Door and hatch seals, viewport condition, hull penetrations, pressure relief valves and gauges — the parts that keep the chamber safe under pressure.
BIBS masks, hoses and demand valves, overboard dump, oxygen analysers, CO₂ management and gas supply integrity.
Control panel, interlocks, lighting (Ex-rated where required), intercom and alarms — handled by suitably certified engineers for oxygen-rich environments.
Signed service reports, an up-to-date maintenance log and examination records ready for your insurer, CQC inspection or class society.
We provide planned maintenance, statutory inspection and breakdown response for hyperbaric chambers UK-wide — ASSET, CompEx, GWO and BFPA certified.
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