Clean Room

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in a clean room?  We're not talking about your office after it's been cleaned.  We're talking about a Clean Room, which is a room that is 10,000 times cleaner than a hospital operating room. Now you're probably wondering why you would need a room that cleans.

Usually they are used as manufacturing places that have products that could be harmed if manufactured in a regular room.  Computer chips are just one of the items manufactured in these rooms.  Imagine the technology required to run the huge air filtration systems that can completely change the air in these clean rooms 10 times per minute. This reduces the chance of airborne particles harming the chips or other sensitive material.

That is only half of the equation. The people who work in these rooms are required to wear special uniforms to protect the sensitive material from human particles such as flakes of skin or hair. It's a non-linting, anti-static fabric and is worn over your regular clothes.

Getting dressed to enter one of these rooms is a process that can take up to 40 minutes for a beginner and 5 minutes for a seasoned veteran. Also, you have to repeat the process every time you enter and leave a clean room.

The suit up gear is made of an ultra clean material, a battery pack for the air filter system, 2 pieces of disposable shoe covers and outer booties, a helmet that contains an air filter unit, hairnet, safety glasses and a belt.

The list of things to do before entering a clean room is daunting.  It contains 44 steps.  There is not time to list them all but here is a partial list: Store private items, remove makeup with water and clean room soap, have a drink to clean throat particles, cover the facial hair with the help of a surgical mask, put on lint free head cover, clean shoes and put on shoe cover and pick up booties. Then you need to sit on what is considered the unclean side of a bench. Put one bootie on over shoe cover and swing that foot to the clean side of the bench. Repeat for other foot.  Only then can you enter the core gowning room.

This process of cleaning does not end there, but I hope you got the picture.

This rather complicated procedure guarantees the safety of the sensitive items that are being manufactured. So, I guess many of us owe the workings of our computers to the people who work in a clean room.