On 11 December 2024 it became mandatory to be licensed under the Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004 to work on medical gas systems.

There are important health and safety risks with medical gas work. The ACT Government has introduced new licences for people who install and work on medical gas systems. You must meet certain qualifications, experience and skill requirements to obtain a licence.

What is a medical gas system?

Medical gas systems provide special gases needed for medical care of people. Work on medical gas systems includes:

  • Medical gasfitting work - the construction, installation, replacement, repair, alteration, and maintenance of a medical gas system
  • Medical gas technician work - the commissioning, testing, verification, or certification of a medical gas system.

When is a licence needed?

You need a medical gas licence to construct, install, replace, repair, alter, maintain, test, verify, certify or commission medical gas systems. Licences will help keep people safe in places like hospitals, dental offices, and nursing homes.

You don’t need a medical gas licence for work in a veterinary clinic.

Read more about what activities require a medical gas licence in the ACT [PDF 316.7 KB].

Licence classes

Class Scope of work

Medical Gasfitter

  • Construction, installation, replacement, repair, alteration, and maintenance of a medical gas system; and if incidental to this work, will include design work and testing.

Medical Gasfitter Permit

  • Construction, installation, replacement, repair, alteration, and maintenance of a medical gas system; and if incidental to this work, will include design work and testing under supervision.

Medical Gas Technician

  • Commissioning, testing, verification, or certification of a medical gas system.

Medical Gas Technician Permit

  • Commissioning, testing, verification, or certification of a medical gas system under supervision.

Note: Your licence will be conditioned if you have both a medical gasfitter and medical gas technician licence. This condition prevents you from commissioning a medical gas system if you have also installed the part that needs to be commissioned. This means the same person cannot do both the installation and testing of a medical gas system.

Other medical gas licences

Corporation or partnership licence

If a corporation or partnership wants to provide or advertise medical gas services in the ACT, it will need a licence. For more information, see corporation or partnership licence.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a licence or permit, you need to meet relevant mandatory qualifications outlined in the Construction Occupations (Licensing) (Qualifications) Declaration and the Gas Safety Act 2000.

Where multiple methods are listed for a particular licence class, you are only required to meet one of the methods listed.

Interstate licence holders

You may be able to apply for an ACT licence if you're already licensed in another state or territory. Find out more about mutual recognition.

Applying for a licence

Step 1 – Gather required evidence to support your application

Access Canberra will not accept checks that are more than 6 months old.

Step 2 – Start your application

Step 3 – Assessment

Once submitted, your application will be assessed to ensure you meet:

  • Fit and proper person requirements
  • Qualification and experience requirements.

Step 4 – Decision

Once the assessment of your application is complete you will either be offered a licence, or your application will be refused.

Please note, you may be offered a licence with conditions restricting the scope of works that can be undertaken under your licence.

If you are offered a licence you will need to pay a licence term fee of either 1 or 3 years. Fees are determined by the Fee Determination for the relevant financial year.

Note: It will take up to 7 days for your licence to be published on the public register after your licence term fee is paid, and up to 21 days for a licence card to be printed and sent to you.

Timeframe

The assessment of your application will take at least 4 weeks.

If your application is incomplete, or we need more information or verification, the assessment will take more time. Requests for more information will be sent to you via email.

Assessments of applications will not be fast tracked in any circumstances.

Your responsibilities

As a medical gas licensee you are responsible for:

  • complying with your obligations under the legislative framework
  • undertaking work in a proper and skilful way
  • rectifying issues that may arise with the quality of your work
  • understanding the requirements for insurances, contracts and other obligations.

Further information can be found on the licence responsibilities page.