Determine how medical gas outlet risk category is assigned differently (or not) between an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) and a hospital

Steps

1. Confirm NFPA 99 assigns risk category (1-4) based on a documented risk assessment of the procedures and systems supported at a given space — not automatically based on whether the facility is labeled a 'hospital' or an 'ambulatory surgery center'
2. Confirm that an ASC performing full surgical procedures under general anesthesia is expected to meet the same Category 1 (or applicable) system requirements as a comparable hospital operating room, since the risk is tied to the procedure/anesthesia level, not the building type
3. Confirm hospital outpatient surgical departments are generally expected to meet provisions comparable to those applicable to ambulatory health care occupancies performing similar procedures, reflecting the risk-based (not occupancy-based) philosophy introduced in more recent NFPA 99 editions
4. Confirm the facility's own documented risk assessment (not a generic assumption) is what ultimately determines and justifies the category for each system/space in either a hospital or an ASC setting
5. Confirm with the state health facility licensing authority whether any state-specific ASC licensing rules impose additional or different category requirements beyond the base NFPA 99 risk-assessment approach