Manufacturers often ask how to achieve a clean space without using a cleanroom. There are many reasons to do this, including achieving a reasonable process flow and assuring economic competitiveness.

Evaluate gloves and other protective equipment. Particularly at non-cleanroom stages of production, the Industrial Hygienist may be in charge of specification. Of course the worker has to be protected. However, product contamination also has to be minimized. As an engineer or process designer, the ball has to be in your court as well; so you may need to coordinate (i.e. negotiate) with the safety professionals.

Simple, low cost changes can make a big difference. For example, covering street clothes with a lab smock and providing a closet to remove fuzzy sweatshirts and jackets from the work environment can go a long way towards promoting the perception and actually achieving a cleaner working environment.

This cleanroom tip was taken from the article “Clean Space Without a Cleanroom,” which appears in the June 2013 issue of Controlled Environments.