Protoclean's Clean Construction Protocols

The work in this section describes the five levels of clean construction protocols. The sixth level is Tool Hook-Up and/or Operations and is listed under Tool Hook-Up. The five levels listed here are a guideline and do not necessarily need to be performed in the manner described below.

The levels are listed here for informational purposes only and do not describe the scope of work provided by Protoclean, Inc. The scope of work is ...by mutual agreement between the general contractor, the customer and Protoclean, Inc.

During Level 1, it is the building contractor’s responsibility to ensure that necessary protocol requirements are enforced until the transition time when the protocol company, PROTOCLEAN, is mobilized and on-site.

A. Construction Work Covered:
  • 1 Preparation of Cleanroom Construction Area
  • 2 Painting the new concrete structure, floors, and walls
  • 3 Main pipe runs, including sprinkler work
  • 4 HVAC components
B. Cleaning Requirements:
  • 1 Continuous broom cleaning must occur throughout, and rubbish must be removed on an ongoing basis. Care should be taken to avoid raising dust during broom cleaning.
C. Material Requirements:
  • 1 The open ends of all make-up air ducts are to be sealed with an approved cleanroom material.
  • 2 The ends of the cleanroom pipelines are to be sealed with an approved cleanroom material.
D. Garmenting Requirements:
  • 1 Prior to specialty flooring installation, workers and visitors must clean their shoes before entering the main building area. Devices for cleaning the soles of shoes and disposable tacky mats or industrial mats are to be provided at the entrance(s) to the clean construction area. Tacky mats shall be replaced as required.
  • 2 Outer garments must be left outside the construction area. Jackets, hats, scarves, and personal items are to remain outside the construction area.
E. Tool/Equipment Requirements:
  • 1 Welding and/or grinding operations near equipment must include proper protection to prevent any potential damage to such equipment.
  • 2 No gas or diesel equipment can be used without a safe work permit and approval from the cleanroom manager.
F. Prior to the Installation of the Clean Zone Barrier:
  • 1 Vacuuming or wiping all horizontal surfaces is required.
  • 2 Use designated areas for fabrication, welding, cutting, or grinding.
  • 3 Storage of material requires prior approval.
  • 4 Care must be taken to prevent damage to existing construction at all stages of protocol.
G. Prior to Epoxy Floor Finishing:
  • 1 No traffic shall be allowed over flooring before coating once the existing concrete slab has been prepared to receive the epoxy floor finish.
  • 2 Traffic will be allowed only after corrugated plastic floor protection is in place.
  • 3 Any other trades requiring access must coordinate very closely with the Construction Project Manager and the Flooring Subcontractor.
A. Construction Work Covered:
  • 1 Interstitial spray coatings
  • 2 Wall coatings or sealer
  • 3 Finish epoxy coating or sealer on floors
  • 4 Primary structural ceiling suspension rods
B. Construction Requirements:
  • 1 The use of tobacco products, eating, drinking, or chewing of any kind is not permitted in this area.
  • 2 All tools and materials must be wiped down prior to entering the cleanroom.
  • 3 Protection for the floor must be installed and maintained.
  • 4 Welding/grinding operations must be scheduled with the cleanroom protocol manager. Proper protection of the cleanroom materials must be maintained.
  • 5 Drilling/cutting into materials in the cleanroom requires prior approval, and appropriate cleaning methods must be used during and immediately after work is accomplished.
  • 6 Cleanroom materials must be kept in designated controlled areas.
  • 7 Vacuum cleaning must be maintained with portable HEPA vacuums.
  • 8 Rubbish must be removed on a continuous basis.
  • 9 No cardboard, wood, or packaging materials shall be permitted in the cleanroom construction area at any time, for any reason whatsoever.
  • 10 Daily wet mopping of the entire cleanroom space is required.
C. Garment Requirements:
  • 1 Personnal and visitors must clean shoes prior to donning shoe covers.
  • 2 Personnal and visitors entering the clean zones must wear shoe covers.
  • 3 Personnal and visitors entering the clean zones must wear cleanroom-approved gloves.
  • 4 Personnal and visitors entering the clean zones must wear hair covers.
D. Tools/Equipment Requirements:
  • 1 All tools being used in this area must be maintained in a clean condition.
E. After Epoxy Flooring Installation:
  • 1 No traffic shall be allowed over flooring after installation for the appropriate cure period as defined by the epoxy flooring manufacturer, and will be allowed only after floor protection is in place.
  • 2 Any other trades requiring access must coordinate very closely with the flooring subcontractor.
  • 3 Flooring protection shall remain in place during the construction period where wheeled equipment is in use.
A. Construction Work Covered:
  • 1 This stage begins with the start-up and continuous operation of the Make-Up Air Handler Units as required to provide positive pressure to all ambient areas. The work performed is clean room interiors.
  • 2 Install walls, raised access flooring, and cleanroom ceiling grids.
  • 3 Install blank ceiling panels after the grid area is cleaned.
  • 4 Final hook-up of ceiling sprinkler systems and lights.
  • 5 Preparations for the ceiling grid clean if a gel system is used.
B. Construction Requirements:
  • 1 No welding/grinding operations will be permitted, either above the ceiling or within the cleanroom.
  • 2 No storage of any materials within the cleanroom shall be allowed without prior approval of the cleanroom site manager.
  • 3 Clean wall panels prior to installation and upon completion of installation to remove dust and other foreign materials from the facing, using accepted solutions. The cleanroom wall system design shall require no cutting or drilling in the cleanroom during assembly. The wall system installation shall minimize the need for field cutting.
  • 4 Test the cleaning method on a hidden surface or piece of scrap material. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to determine the suitable location for the cleaning process, either inside the cleanroom or inside a temporary clean space. Over-cleaning or excessive rubbing may damage the panel surfaces. Abrasive cleaners and heated cleansers are not permitted to be used in the cleaning process.
  • 5 Raised Floors - Cutting and trimming or debris-producing operations will not be permitted in the areas where the floor is being installed.
  • 6 Perform cutting and trimming or debris-producing operations as remotely as possible from installation as instructed by the construction manager and in a manner to prevent contamination of suppressed slab surfaces under sections of the access floor, which already have been installed.
  • 7 After completion of installation, vacuum clean the entire floor surface and cover it with continuous sheets of reinforced paper or plastic.
  • 8 Protection of the raised access floor must be maintained. Removal of the protection requires prior approval from the Construction Project Manager.
  • 9 All equipment and materials must be unwrapped and wiped down with cleaning supplies provided at the designated material entry / “wipe down” area before they are permitted to enter the cleanroom.
  • 10 Continuous vacuuming with a portable HEPA vacuum must occur throughout the cleanroom area, especially in active work areas.
  • 11 All rubbish must be removed continuously and at the end of each shift.
  • 12 Trades must clean up after themselves. PROTOCLEAN, INC. is not responsible for cleaning the trade’s debris.
C. Garment Requirements:
  • 1 Personnal and visitors entering the clean zones must wear shoe covers.
  • 2 Personnal and visitors must clean shoes prior to donning shoe covers.
  • 3 Personnal and visitors entering the clean zones must wear;

a. Cleanroom-Approved Gloves

b. Hair Covers

c. Beard Covers

D. Equipment Requirements:
  • 1 All tools being used in this area must be maintained and operated in a clean condition.
A. Construction Work Covered:
  • 1 Pressurization of the cleanroom area with continuous operation of the make-up air unit.
  • 2 Installation and connection of the HEPA or ULPA filters.
  • 3 Start-up of recirculation air.
  • 4 Completion of all cleanroom work.
  • 5 All previous requirements shall remain in effect.
B. Construction Requirements:
  • 1 Any other work in the cleanroom must be coordinated with the Construction Project Manager.
  • 2 All personnel and materials must gown in the Construction Gown Room prior to entering the cleanroom.
  • 3 The cleanroom will have restricted access only to authorized personnel.
  • 4 All debris, rubbish, and unused materials must be removed immediately from the cleanroom upon completion of the work.
  • 5 Trades must clean up after themselves. PROTOCLEAN, INC. is not responsible for cleaning the trade’s debris.
C. Following HEPA Filter Installation:
  • 1 Pre-cleaning and preliminary certification will begin.
  • 2 Total lock-out shall be maintained after filter installation completion.
  • 3 Access shall be strictly limited to authorized personnel on a need-to-enter basis.
D. Garment Requirements:
  • 1 Personnal and visitors must clean shoes prior to donning shoe covers.
  • 2 Personnal and visitors entering the clean zones must wear:

a. Shoe Covers

b. Cleanroom-Approved Gloves

c. Hair Covers

d. Beard Covers

e. Tyvek or Launderable

f. Tyvek or Launderable to be worn over hair net and bread cover

g. Tyvek or Launderable to be worn over shoe covers

E. Equipment Requirements:
  • 1 All equipment entering the cleanroom must be uncrated/unwrapped in an area designated by the Construction Project Manager, and thoroughly cleaned prior to entry.
  • 2 Personnel cleaning such equipment must not be the same as the installing personnel.

Level 5 commences after the completion of the final clean and the beginning of the cleanroom compliance test procedures. During Level 5, certification and testing are performed, and the results are reported to ensure that the cleanroom meets As Built specifications as agreed upon by the customer and contractor. Level 5 ends at the completion and acceptance of the testing.

See the Tool Hook-Up tab.

Other Requirements

A. During all stages of cleanroom construction, food, beverages, chewing gum, and snacks are not allowed in the clean construction area.

B. Smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco products and similar products are not allowed in the clean construction area.

C. Disposal of material and product wrappings, scrap materials, debris, damaged garments, and similar non-usable materials shall be in designated trash containers. Debris shall not be allowed to accumulate on the floor or any horizontal surface.

D. Tacky mats shall be installed at the points of entry to the clean construction area and changed as required.