For individuals working in the pharmaceutical industry, sterility is one of the most important factors in product quality and safety. One of the most fundamental steps in this process is the selection of appropriate pharmaceutical garments for cleanroom use.
The aim of this blog post is to assist readers in making informed decisions about the most appropriate pharmaceutical uniform in terms of safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
Different Types of Clean Room Cleanliness Classifications
There are many styles of clean rooms, and before going forward with the selection of such garments, it would be prudent to grasp how clean rooms are rated. This classification, in a general way, also determines the type of pharmaceutical garments needed:
- Higher cleanliness levels, for example, ISO Class 5 require full body ensemble along with coveralls, hoods, booties, masks and gloves.
- Less clean room classifications may result in fewer compromises for necessities.
Pharmaceutical Uniforms Selection Criteria
- Product Sensitivity
It goes without saying that the type of products being produced will also impact the garments being sewn. For instance:
- Uniforms in vaccine manufacturing facilities have to be able to endure many cycles of sterilization.
- More tolerance in terms of garments may be seen for products of lower sensitivity.
- Static Dissipation
The presence of static electricity can also be dangerous as it can attract dust and other particles and pose a risk to the cleanroom. In order to prevent this problem:
- Select pharmaceutical attire from custom-designed, static-dissipating fabrics.
- Shoes should have a resistance between 106 and 108 obtained by antistatic materials.
- Frequency of Garment Changes
The clean rooms have different policies in regard to changes in uniforms:
- Outfits for intensive use can include reusable washable clothes, especially for those facilities where the changes are common (for example, 20 per week).
- Whenever movements are less common changes, then disposable alternatives would be more cost-effective.
- Compatibility with Accessories
The acquired pharmaceutical wear should not only be independent but also be compatible with other essential clean room accessories like:
- Gloves
- Masks
- Shoe covers
- Visitor Frequency
The frequency of visitors who access your cleanroom may also determine the type of garment you wish to put on:
- If there is a lot of visitor activity, then providing washable clothing might be an option worth considering.
- Where there have been a few visitors, then disposable ones would be used to reduce operational costs.
- Think of alternative approaches: use disposable clothing for people on visits while wearing reusable work clothing for all other staff.
Quality Vs Price
Choosing pharmaceutical garments based only on price may, however, be efficient so long as the importance of upholding the quality of the clean environment is recognized. Some of these issues are:
- Cost comparison of reusable garments over their disposables in the long run.
- Cost recovery for incurring losses related to contamination through cheap uniforms.
- The comfort and flexibility of the workers are likely to affect the output of the organization.
Conclusion
Pharmaceutical cleanroom garments are fundamental to assure product quality and employee safety as well as process effectiveness. An informed decision on these types of combinations can come on such combinations provided issues like, class of clean room, sensitivity of the product, static discharge when required, frequency or number of visits to the floors, etc. is taken in to account.
As noted above, the aim is to build an environment in which your products can be handled, and the staff can perform their duties efficiently. This is so when you have the right pharmaceutical garments. The two issues can be achieved, and high standards can be maintained in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, but without the right clothing, nothing is made.
