When asked about the most important factor in manufacturing, many employees put people ahead of production. It is important that our priorities are right on this one. The most important factor in our cleanrooms is the end product and ensuring that the end product is safe and of the highest quality possible consistently and reproducibly for the end user. Breaches in cleanroom protocol must not be allowed to result in an unsafe product. At the same time, skilled, educated cleanroom employees are essential for production of quality product.
Perhaps HR could be made part of the solution to reconciling employee self-esteem with requirements for contamination control. This person would participate in the training/education required of new and existing employees. It would be very reasonable to require HR people to invest some time in observing actual cleanroom practices and to explain the importance of those practices.
Other groups besides HR could benefit from engaging in the cleanroom experience. Engineers have been known to specify unnecessary, illogical, and redundant procedures and requirements, sometimes under the general guise of “cleanroom discipline”. Requiring engineers writing the protocol and process flow to spend an entire shift in the cleanroom actually practicing what they have written could be an excellent investment in moving toward higher reliable product, rugged processes, saving money, and achieving enforceable cleanroom personnel practices.
From: Cosmetics and Cleanrooms