Every magazine has what’s called an editorial calendar, spelling out what the magazine will cover within a forecast period of time. For 2010, this magazine has chosen a “back to basics” theme. I’ll try to contribute to that effort. This column is such, but it’s about what I think are the “pre-basics” of operating with cleaning (or any) technologies.

UNTHOUGHTFUL ACTIONS
The pre-basics are simply doing what one, or an organization, is expected to do. In other words, to stop doing “unthoughtful” things. “Unthoughtful” things are failing to do what one knows he/she should be doing—for example, forgetting to pay one’s taxes while not intending to become a cabinet officer.

A SALTY EXAMPLE
A good friend had a recent experience with a client firm which illustrates what can happen if critical cleaning operations are conducted in an unthoughtful way. In his own words:

Here is the result of an investigation I was asked to do for a back-end manufacturer of semiconductors.

The issue was corrosion on soldered joints. Actual visible crystals were appearing on some but not all assemblies.

The method of assembly was hand soldering in a minimum cleanroom. The operators were gowned, hats, boot covers, and gloves. However the “outfit” was simply hung up during breaks and checking was lax. Operators put on new boot covers and gloves each time they entered the cleanroom. The corrosion had started almost exactly 30 days earlier and supposedly nothing had changed.