In oxygen-enriched environments, even microscopic particles or residues can lead to a fire. That’s why international standards require stringent cleaning and verification protocols for oxygen equipment.

As more players enter the industry (including fast-growing energy and electrolysis sectors), an understanding of oxygen cleaning requirements is essential.

We recently spoke with course creators Elliot Forsyth, Dr. Gwenael Chiffoleau, and Wallace Foster to learn how WHA’s new O2 Clean & Compliance training is helping to fix gaps in industry understanding.

Why Oxygen Cleaning Is a Compliance Obligation

In oxygen systems, cleanliness isn’t just good practice. It’s safety-critical.

Contaminants such as oils, greases, dust, metal shavings, or fiber particles can serve as unintended fuels in oxygen-enriched environments. Through ignition mechanisms like adiabatic compression, particle impact, particle friction, or static discharge, these materials can rapidly ignite and kindle fire to other parts of the system.

In fast-moving sectors like medical equipment, aerospace, or green hydrogen, new designers and manufacturers may not be fully aware of:

• Which standards (ASTM, CGA, MIL, ISO) apply to their systems
• What’s required for documentation and inspection
• How to verify vendor claims about O₂ cleaning
• The fire risks posed by residue, particulates, and incompatible materials

Without a thorough understanding of oxygen cleaning and verification methods, companies can unintentionally put people and equipment at serious risk.

A Training Built for Real-World Compliance

WHA’s O2 Clean & Compliance course is designed to close the gap in industry understanding. It’s not just about performing cleaning procedures (though they are included in training); it’s about empowering participants to demonstrate compliance, reduce liability, and protect lives.

The course is designed for:

• Clean Process Designers and Managers: Understand the standards, spot red flags, and make sure your systems are safe from the start.
• Quality and Compliance Professionals: Gain the tools to validate supplier claims and ensure proper documentation. This course is used to train auditors who review oxygen equipment suppliers.
• Operations and Safety Leaders: Reduce risk, build a defensible compliance program, and protect your team and your brand.
• Suppliers and Manufacturers: Learn what your customers will ask and how to meet expectations confidently.

This course is an integral component of WHA’s new Oxygen Equipment Supplier (OES) Certification Program, but it’s also a valuable standalone training for any company working in or around oxygen clean processes.

Informed by 35+ Years of Industry Experience

WHA isn’t just a training provider; we do hands-on work with oxygen equipment every day.

Our in-house oxygen cleaning facilities provide outsourced cleaning services for hundreds of parts each day, and our experts provide process review and consulting for cleaning in aerospace, medical, energy, and many other sectors.

Our oxygen safety experts have investigated hundreds of oxygen-related fires, tested thousands of materials and components, and helped shape the international standards used across industries. We’ve seen the results of poor cleaning compliance, and we follow the same cleaning processes for our own oxygen test systems. We share this cleaning knowledge through our training and consulting services.

Part of the Path to Compliance

Understanding cleaning isn’t optional. It’s the first step to building safer systems, working with reliable suppliers, and reducing long-term liability.

Whether you’re developing new technology or auditing your current process, WHA is here to help.

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