Cleanroom Design & Layout Considerations

When setting up a cleanroom, the placement of equipment and furniture should be properly configured for optimal airflow. Furniture that’s placed incorrectly can negatively impact circulation, thus creating blockages in airflow and stagnation and ultimately increasing the likelihood for contamination to occur.

Consider these tips for keeping airflow unimpacted:

• Do not place chairs, equipment, or furniture in areas that are pathways to vents
• Use chairs that allow airflow through, avoid solid backs
• Use desks and workbenches with no backing or perforated backing, and avoid solid back panels
• Shelving should not be solid; if possible, use shelves with perforations or bars
• Make sure there is sufficient space around all equipment – do not stack or position too closely together
• Keep areas tidy, uncluttered
• Use modular or mobile furniture that’s easy to move if needed

Design for Optimal Maneuverability

It’s also important to consider how materials/products and people move throughout the cleanroom. Since people are the main source of contamination, it is critical that processing areas be located away from access points and walkways.

Critical areas should have a single access point, free of anything that blocks the pathway. This is important to keep airflow access to the area as well as to reduce the chance of contaminants escaping to less critical areas.

Most pharmaceutical and compounding processing is conducted in ISO 5 isolators to reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination. Over the years, many steps have been taken to reduce the occurrence of this, such as the implementation of usp797 and usp800.

Different manufacturing processes may require more stringent cleanliness depending on the cleanroom classification.

Additional Considerations

Furniture and all materials inside the cleanroom should be specified with ISO requirements in mind. Surfaces should be non-porous and able to be wiped down with a cleaning solution, typically 70% isopropyl alcohol. Placement of all objects in the cleanroom should allow easy access for the cleaning crew.

For more information, including recommended products for your specific controlled environment, contact us today.