WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Two state lawmakers are looking to regulate hyperbaric chambers so the tragedy that killed 5-year-old Thomas Cooper doesn't happen to anyone else.
Cooper, who was being treated because of his autism, was killed at the Oxford Center in Troy back in January. Authorities say the hyperbaric chamber exploded and caught fire. His mother was burned trying to rescue him.
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Four people were charged in the boy's death, including the center's founder and safety manager.
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Friday, 7 News Detroit checked out the hyperbaric chambers at another facility, Encompass Healthcare and Wound Medicine in West Bloomfield.
Medical director Bruce Ruben and his staff said safety is paramount to what they do, from safety checks and constant monitoring to using static-free linen and a grounding cord worn by the patient.
Ruben said the grounding cord is used “to make sure that the person is grounded electrically to this particular chamber. So, it’s virtually impossible for a fire to happen.”
State Representative MacDonell said, “Hyperbaric accidents are not common, but when they happen, they’re catastrophic.”
She said the tragic hyperbaric chamber fire at the Oxford Center happened a few miles from her home.
“I couldn’t bear the idea that if this happens again to a family again that I didn’t try to do something," the Troy resident told 7 News Detroit. “It’s kind of absurd that we have no regulations in this industry, and I think it’s time to put an end to that.”
So, she and state senator Stephanie Chang are in the process of drafting legislation that aims to require hyperbaric chamber facilities to become accredited. MacDonell said that accreditation could come through an organization like the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.
She said she's consulting with the organization's Executive Director, John Peters.
Peters told 7 News Detroit, “We’ve accredited or surveyed over 400 programs. Our experience is that programs that aren’t monitored... they typically have issues."
He explained, "We’re looking at everything from how it's governed, who the owners are, how that translates down to standardized policies and procedures and are those standards and procedures, do they match what the standards are for the specialty, and if they don’t then we issue a corrective action.”
However, Dr. Ruben, who's been operating hyperbaric chambers for 20 years, has a different view.
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“Regarding regulations, to set one of these up is a very expensive endeavor because it requires multiple certifications that are already in place," the doctor said.
He said the piping installment is certified, as well as yearly certification of the chambers and the manufacturer lets him know when to stop using them.
Ruben said, “The requirements of accreditation — I’m not sure how that would work, but the provider is the one who needs to be accredited. So, I was accredited by the American Society of Preventive Medicine. They’re the ones who accredit a physician and give him his board or her board certification. That’s really the most important part.”
As he points out, Oxford Center director Tamila Peterson, who was charged in the tragedy, doesn’t have a medical degree.
