COMMISSIONING AND CLEANING OF A CLEANROOM
Developing and building a cleanroom is a specific field. The client wants a dust-poor and/or germ-poor environment for its activities. Achieving that goal during and after construction involves a lot of work! The delivery, validation and proper functioning of a cleanroom is strongly linked to, among other things, cleaning during the construction work, furnishing and use thereof. In cooperation with our PP4C partner WERO, which specialises in cleanroom cleaning, we have drawn up a 10-step plan to give our client a good impression of what this involves.
10-step plan
PHASE 1 - Cleaning during construction activities
Purpose: To prevent unnecessary dust accumulation in later hard-to-reach places.
Construction contractor's responsibility. If building contractor has little or no experience with cleanroom cleaning, it is recommended that this is carried out by an experienced and specialist cleaning organisation. Brecon has employees with the required knowledge and experience!
Norm: Vacuum clean and deliver.
PHASE 2 - Cleaning during installation work
Purpose: To remove mostly localised contamination resulting from installation work, such as installation of electricity, gas, water, etc., during the work.
The use of a hoover and/or other cleaning materials is necessary.
Norm: Vacuum clean delivery.
PHASE 3 - First construction cleaning
Purpose: After completion of construction and installation work, remove all visible contaminants on ceilings, walls, floors, fixed inventory edges/riches (including filter suspensions) etc.
Possibly apply protective coatings to the floor.
Norm: All horizontal and vertical surfaces visibly clean.
PHASE 4 - Pre-rinsing the air handling system
Purpose: To remove any dust present in the ducts, by collection using bag filters per duct. Building up overpressure in the rooms.
Norm: Channels visibly clean; floors visibly clean
PHASE 5 - Cleaning prior to filter assembly
Purpose: Removal of sedimented and/or adhered dust from ceilings, walls, floors and fixed inventory. Aim optically dust-free, check with string light, no visible dust clusters left present.
Norm: Wiper clean.
After completion of phase 5, the clean room may only be entered with prescribed clothing!
PHASE 6 - Installation of the filters (HEPA)
Purpose: Prior to each filter placement, clean overlay edges on all sides.
Immediately remove any contamination arising during filter assembly(CG cloth). Direct responsibility of filter assembly technicians.
Norm: Maintain requirements of phase 5.
PHASE 7 - Air treatment plant including filters adjustment
Purpose: To rid circulating air of suspended dust particles and create overpressure in rooms.
PHASE 8 - Bringing cleanroom into prescribed class
Purpose: To rid all surfaces in order ceilings, walls, inventory, floors of sedimented and/or adhered dust.
Professional cleanroom cleaning by people observing all disciplinary regulations, appropriate routing and movement discipline.
Norm: Wiper clean
PHASE 9 - Checks and measurement procedures
Purpose: To check whether the cleanroom is functioning as planned after which delivery to client can take place. Measurements by installer or on his behalf. (Validation)
PHASE 10 - Daily and periodic cleaning
Goal: Keep cleanroom in the condition it was designed for, even in the long term.
It is advisable to draw up a cleaning programme. This is a cleaning programme adapted to the cleanroom that takes into account the specific requirements of the production area and the client's wishes.
Recommendation: The contract to be drawn up should include a detailed specification of the work programme including specification of the machinery and cleaning resources and materials to be deployed.
Explanatory standards:
- ‘Vacuum clean’: using a hoover to remove all loose dust and dirt.
- ‘Visibly clean’: contamination, dust or dirt visible to the naked eye must have been removed.
- ‘Wiper clean’: a white cleanroom wiper must not be visibly soiled after randomly checking parts of surfaces.
- ‘Iron light clean’: the particles visible with the iron light on a surface must have been removed.
Commissioning, control and cleaning procedures take two to three weeks on average. Validation generally takes place “as built” and takes approx. one to two weeks. Depending on the complexity and size of the cleanroom and air treatment installation, the above time periods may vary.