Although the idea of a contamination-controlled environment was already a concept to combat the risk of infection in the operating theatre, the impact it could have on manufacturing reliability and accuracy only became recognised during the second world war. That’s where HEPA filters were first used for the production of weapons and aircraft.

However, the man widely credited with the invention of an actual cleanroom using laminar air flow is American physicist Willis Whitfield, who was working with a team at the Sandia National Laboratories on nuclear technologies in the early 1960s.This was closely followed by the first medical procedure, a hip replacement performed in an operating theatre with filtered air.

An essential for the 21st century

Today, of course, a cleanroom is fundamental in many highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals – and the high-tech world of semi-conductor production and their application in industries from telecoms to space.

The key is that unwanted particles either cost you your health or your wallet!

Explains ISO Cleanroom Founder Toni Horsfield:

Networking and shared learning

One of key opportunities for networking and sharing learning across the industry is offered by the Contamination Control Network (CCN), and Toni is a member of its Managing Committee.theccnetwork.org.

Industry meetings and conferences are another fantastic space for learning about new ideas and developments. There are many small but informative meetings that take place up and down the country every year, and the larger industry shows such as the Lab Innovations Conference and the Cleanroom Technology Conference bring the best of the year’s developments to the market.

There are also a number of great magazines in the cleanroom industry: CACR and Cleanroom Technology to name but two, along with countless specialist industry magazines. These provide a great source of knowledge both in their printed magazines but also on their sites and associated blogs.

So what’s the next big thing coming through in the cleanroom industry now? 

ISO Cleanrooms’ approach to CPD

In terms of staying ahead with matters specific to cleanroom design and construction knowhow, another regular refresher activity for the ISO Cleanrooms team members is renewing their qualifications. 

The Cleanroom Testing and Certification Board – International (CTCB-I) offers qualifications in both Advanced Cleanroom Technology and Cleanroom Testing, and ISO Cleanroom’s testers have all achieved the highest level of ‘Accredited Professionals.’ The team also sign up for (and recommend to their clients) other available training courses which they see very useful for both new starters and time served professionals to embed best practices and new developments. Such courses are those provided by Air Techniques International (ATI)and include:

• HEPA Filter Testing (ISO 14644-3 Photometry)
• Biosafety Cabinet Testing (EN 12469 and NSF 49)
• Airflow Measurement and Testing (ISO 14644 Cleanroom Testing)
• Cleanroom Classification (ISO 14644-1 Particle Counting)

Wider implications as a ‘construction’ company

And for us at ISO Cleanroom, keeping up-to-date isn’t just about our specific industry – because we build the cleanrooms we design, there are a whole host of other regulations and protocols we have to follow.

Safe working practices are essential, and our commitment to this is demonstrated by our CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Scheme) accreditation – an industry-wide acknowledgement of the excellence of our operating standards on site.

Says Anthony Horsfield, a qualified building surveyor who has the role of Project Director at ISO Cleanrooms and personally oversees every installation:

Rightly proud of this statistic Anthony adds:

In summary, Toni concludes: