Oxygen therapy

Permission to use oxygen therapy is only granted where oxygen is prescribed by a health care professional and a safety assessment has been carried out.

Using oxygen safely

Do

  • Install fire alarms and smoke detectors in your home and make sure they’re working
  • Tell your local fire brigade, and if you are a council tenant, inform your Local Housing Office, that you have oxygen at home
  • Keep your device at least three metres away from any appliances that use an open flame, such as a gas cooker or gas fire
  • Keep your device at least 1.5 metres away from other electric appliances, such as a television, hair dryer or electric heater

Do not

  • Smoke, or let anyone smoke near you, when using your device – also smoking will make your oxygen therapy far less effective
  • Use flammable liquids, such as cleaning fluid, paint thinner or aerosols when using your device
  • Use oil-based emollients, such as Vaseline, when using your device

Further information

For more information on Oxygen therapy, please visit the NHS website.