What Are the Gowning Requirements for a Clean Room?

Many manufacturing industries such as electronics, biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals are dependent upon the use and maintenance of clean rooms. Clean rooms are designed to keep out contaminants and are classified based on the cleanliness level needed for a manufacturing process step. Cleanliness, pressure, humidity, air flow rate and the number of air changes per hour are all monitored according the the clean room's classification level. Gowning procedures are critical to maintaining a clean room classification.

General Requirements

• Do not wear open shoes into the clean room.

  Bathe and shave before coming to the clean room premises, and wear clean clothes. Do not wear makeup, hair gel, perfumes, aftershave or body creams or lotions. Do not smoke 30 minutes prior to entering the clean room. Use the restroom, and wash and dry your hands before entering the clean room. Wear closed shoes, rather than sandals, open-toed, slingback or backless shoes. Remove any outer garments such as hats, sweaters, scarves or coats and hang them up. Check your shoes for dirt, and clean them with a shoe cleaner if necessary. Examine and clean any materials you will be taking into the clean room. Use a sticky mat to clean cart wheels and the bottoms of your shoes.

Gowning Room

• Cover your body and clothes in accordance with the room specifications.

  Cover your hair with a hair cover and your beard with a face mask. Use a lab coat or coverall and shoe covers to cover your clothes, or wear a full body suit and boots, depending on the clean room classification. Put on safety glasses, non-powdered gloves and sleeve covers.

Clean Room Behavior

• Keep your clean room equipment on once inside the clean room. Do not eat, drink or chew gum. Try not to cough, sneeze or blow your nose in the clean room. Leave the clean room and go into the gowning room if you have to. Do not store any unnecessary items in the clean room. Do not move quickly or remove objects from underneath your protective clothing. Do not write on, lean on or sit on garments, equipment or surfaces. Use only approved pens and clean room paper.

Exiting the Clean Room

• Clean up your workstation. Bag and seal any items that you will take out of the clean room. Walk out of the clean room by using the path that stays to the exterior door side of the bench in the gowning room. Leave clean lab coats and gowns in the gowning room. Dispose of dirty or torn gowns outside of the gown room. Remove everything else outside of the gowning room and discard.