We are building an ISO Class 7 (formerly Class 10,000) modular cleanroom on our university campus. Our students will wear bouffants, shoecovers, and frocks. Is there a gowning protocol for frocks?We also need procedures for cleaning the modular cleanroom and working in the cleanroom.

There are four key factors that contribute to contamination in all cleanrooms or controlled environments. The furniture and/or equipment, the product being produced, the processes performed in the cleanroom, and the people working inside the cleanroom. The people working in the cleanroom contribute the most contamination; however, the people working in the cleanroom exercise the most control over the environment of the cleanroom. Selecting the correct garments and performing the recommended garmenting procedures will increase the contamination control in the cleanroom.

GOWNING PROCEDURE FOR FROCKS
Gowning procedures begin at home with daily bathing or showering, shaving, brushing of teeth and hair, and application of non-silicone containing skin moisturizers to reduce skin flakes. All make-up, hair gels, hair sprays, perfumes, aromatic after-shave lotions or body lotions are not cleanroom compatible and therefore unacceptable to wear to work in a cleanroom. Your students must wash their hands before entering the cleanroom and after smoking, eating, and/or using the toilet. Cleanroom compatible hand cream may be applied prior to gowning.

The gowning protocol for frocks is similar to the donning and doffing of coveralls. All hair is completely covered inside a bouffant including the ears, and if required, a beard cover is used to cover all facial hair. Even if a student has a shaved head, a bouffant must be worn to prevent contamination from the scalp. The shoes are covered with shoe covers. If static electricity is a concern, there are ESD shoe covers. If you are concerned with slips, trips, or falls inside the cleanroom, there are non-skid shoe covers available. If static electricity is a concern, ESD frocks are available. When donning a frock, it is imperative that the outside surface does not touch the walls, floor, or other operators. The frock is carefully removed from the cleanroom compatible, static dissipative, plastic bag by grasping the inside surface of fabric of the frock just below the collar on the back and allowed to unfold. The inside of the frock is folded back at the shoulders to protect the outside surface from contamination during donning. The right arm is placed inside the right sleeve to the full length of the sleeve. The left arm is placed inside the left sleeve to the full length of the sleeve. The frock is pulled onto the shoulders and the zipper is pulled to the full length of the zipper and/or all snaps are snapped. Some operations will require gloves to be worn over the hands and wrist areas. The glove should overlap the wrist cuff area of the frock. Some cleanroom facilities have operators that fail to comply with appropriate cleanroom gowning protocol. The sleeves are pushed and/or rolled up the arms. The front panels of the frock are open, often partially unzipped or unsnapped. Therefore, your students should be trained thoroughly and periodically monitored for compliance.