If more than one source equipment location exists, what type of alarms should be at the master panels?

Master panels in a medical gas system are designed to monitor and control multiple source equipment locations, ensuring a comprehensive overview of the system's operational status. When multiple sources are present, it is essential to have master alarms that provide centralized alerting for any issues, such as operational failures or abnormal conditions.

Master alarms are capable of receiving inputs from various source equipment and indicating if any unit requires attention. They help streamline the monitoring process by consolidating the alerts into one display, which is crucial in a medical environment where time-sensitive decisions may need to be made for patient safety.

In contrast, area alarms typically function at individual locations and may not provide the broader context necessary for oversight of multiple sources. Fire alarms focus specifically on fire safety and may not address the operational status of medical gas systems. Security alarms are related to the protection of the facility and do not pertain to the operational integrity of medical gas sources. This makes master alarms the appropriate choice for ensuring that all source equipment locations are monitored effectively.