What Building Service Contractors Need to Know About Cleanrooms Steve Hanson Cleanrooms are controlled environments where dust, dirt, bacteria, chemical vapors, airborne contaminants, and other pollutants are controlled to specific levels. Cleanrooms are found in almost all types of industries that require clean and /or sterile rooms, from scientific to manufacturing.

• Examples would be pharmaceuticals, medical laboratories, biotech, and rooms used to assemble or manufacture precision equipment.
• Cleanrooms require controlling contamination as well as the room environment, which would include such things as humidity, temperature, and airflow.
• The humidity, temperature and airflow in a clean room are carefully controlled so that particles are kept to a minimum.

There is a big difference between the air in a typical office building and a cleanroom – office building air contains 500,000 to 1,000,000 particles (that are 0.5 microns or larger) per cubic foot of air. Compare that to a Class 100 cleanroom, which is designed so that there is never more than 100 particles (0.5 microns are larger) per cubic foot of air, or to a Class 1000 clean room (1000 particles per cubic foot of air) or a Class 10,000 (10,000 particles per cubic foot of air).

1. The difference is quite obvious.
2. Just one human hair is 75-100 microns in diameter.
3. A particle that is 200 times smaller than the average human hair (0.5 micron) can cause a great deal of damage to a microchip, circuit or other type of precision products.
4. Contamination can be one of two broad categories: film type or particulates.

Both types can be disastrous to delicate equipment. The key is keeping contaminants from entering a cleanroom. Strict procedures must be followed not only when people enter the room, but also when the room is being cleaned.

Are You building clean on your cleanroom project?

Construction – The construction process should proceed smoothly if the remarks presented about are followed. Cost can increase during this phase if changes must be implemented. While change is inevitable a construction change procedure, negotiated during the bidding phase and in place during construction, will keep such change form getting out of control.

• The requirement for “building clean” has arisen in recent years as Class 10 and Class 1 cleanrooms have become more popular.
• Imposing cleanroom construction protocol should be developed during the construction document phase and be an integral part of the bid documents.
• Once the decision is made to work clean strict protocols should be followed by everyone on the jobsite associated with the clean areas.

A poorly conceived and enforced protocol will be a costly and futile exercise. The tendency to “build clean” on every cleanroom project should be resisted as only the most stringent cleanrooms will benefit from such a protocol. Client cleanroom end users should be encouraged to observe construction as it progresses.

1. They will be more intelligent about how cleanroom components go together and therefore more attuned to maintaining the facility once it is completed and in operation.
2. While suggestions should be welcomed as construction progresses it is important that a chain of command be enforced.
3. Any questions or suggestions or concerns should not be expressed to workers on the site but rather through management channels.

In this way good ideas can be implemented and bad ideas shelved without impacting the construction effort in a negative manner. Note the one exception to this practice is in regard to safety. Everyone on the site has safety responsibility. Any unsafe acts should be questioned and supervisors consulted immediately.

How to implement cleanroom construction protocol?

Construction – The construction process should proceed smoothly if the remarks presented about are followed. Cost can increase during this phase if changes must be implemented. While change is inevitable a construction change procedure, negotiated during the bidding phase and in place during construction, will keep such change form getting out of control.

The requirement for “building clean” has arisen in recent years as Class 10 and Class 1 cleanrooms have become more popular. Imposing cleanroom construction protocol should be developed during the construction document phase and be an integral part of the bid documents. Once the decision is made to work clean strict protocols should be followed by everyone on the jobsite associated with the clean areas.

A poorly conceived and enforced protocol will be a costly and futile exercise. The tendency to “build clean” on every cleanroom project should be resisted as only the most stringent cleanrooms will benefit from such a protocol. Client cleanroom end users should be encouraged to observe construction as it progresses.

They will be more intelligent about how cleanroom components go together and therefore more attuned to maintaining the facility once it is completed and in operation. While suggestions should be welcomed as construction progresses it is important that a chain of command be enforced. Any questions or suggestions or concerns should not be expressed to workers on the site but rather through management channels.

In this way good ideas can be implemented and bad ideas shelved without impacting the construction effort in a negative manner. Note the one exception to this practice is in regard to safety. Everyone on the site has safety responsibility. Any unsafe acts should be questioned and supervisors consulted immediately.

What is a rental cleanroom?

Rental cleanroom – A rental cleanroom is perfect for temporary cleanroom requirements. Installed on-site in little time, it provides the right process conditions for demanding production, measuring and testing tasks as well as for commissioning of machines, their cleaning and packaging of products. This video shows how simple, fast and easy it is to set up a rental cleanroom:

Do you need a commercial cleaning service for your construction site?

If you have a traditional office space, you likely feel it’s pretty obvious why you could benefit from a commercial cleaning service. However, when you think of construction sites, you might feel like it’s not worthwhile to clean an inherently messy, dusty space. The Your Construction Cleaning Solution Has Arrived.

What is commercial post-construction cleaning?

What Is Commercial Post-Construction Cleaning and what Does It Include? – Commercial post-construction cleaning means putting a commercial property into appropriate condition for occupation and use after a construction, remodeling, or renovation project.

1. Most often it’s performed by janitorial companies for commercial property owners who are going to start using the building.
2. As advised by PropertyCashin in their guide to selling a commercial property, it’s also an important step in preparing a building to advertising and showings.
3. Thorough post construction cleaning often times helps property owners to significantly increase their property’s value, which is why post construction cleaning is one of the integral pre-selling activities every real estate professional follows.

The post-construction cleaning requirements include: Having the right cleaning equipment and supplies

• Removing any large debris
• Disposing of any hazardous waste
• Cleaning up the building’s interior
• Cleaning up the exterior of the building

What does a construction cleaning company do?

You are here: Home / Education / 4-Step Commercial Post-Construction Cleaning Guide Construction projects usually run on a tight schedule. So most construction sites have multiple sub-contractors working at the same time. Ideally, the building’s owner or general contractor should hold each sub-contractor accountable for cleanup. In practice, it’s nearly impossible to determine whose mess is whose.

How do you clean a commercial building?

Bathrooms and Kitchens – Newly constructed bathrooms and kitchens are likely to have residue from the supplies used by plumbing contractors—such as various adhesives, solvents, and caulking materials. For the safety of the building’s occupants, a thorough cleaning is necessary.

• Warning! Gloves should be worn throughout the cleaning process.
• Remember that bleach and ammonia produce chlorine gas, which can be lethal in an enclosed area.
• After removing unwanted paint and mortar with a razor blade scraper, vacuum all surfaces.
• Wipe down painted and stained surfaces with a damp cloth.

Clean the appliances, counters, and plumbing fixtures with hot soapy water. Rinse and let dry. Spray all surfaces with a light mist of a commercial disinfectant or a diluted bleach solution. Let air dry.

What equipment is needed to deep clean a commercial building?

Chemicals – A completed office or commercial building can have finished wood, tile, glass, and the like. Make sure to have the proper chemical on hand for cleaning each type of exposed surface. Especially floors and carpets require a wide range of janitorial supplies such as a floor stripper, rug pre-sprays, deodorizers, and detergents.