Fire, smoke, and water damage are the most common consequences of a fire affecting your cleanroom. Even if the cleanroom itself was not directly burned, water damage can result from sprinkler activation or firefighting efforts, while smoke can infiltrate through the AC system or simply from proximity to the fire. The extent of necessary repairs depends on the severity of the damage, ranging from basic cleaning and MERV filter replacement to full replacement of HEPA fan filter units, cleanroom ceiling tiles, and wall panels.
Figure 1. Firefighter
1. Fire Damage
If the cleanroom sustains actual fire damage such as burnt panels, broken windows, and damaged HEPA fan filter units, everything damaged should be replaced with new material/equipment. Even if items do not show visual damage, things like electrical wiring and ducting may be damaged and must be replaced.
Figure 2. Fire Sprinkler Spraying Water
2. Water Damage
Water damage typically comes from fighting the fire. If the sprinklers are activated or the firemen spray water on or inside the cleanroom, the cleanroom walls will typically get soaked and will have to be replaced due to physical damage and to avoid mold growth. The cleanroom ceiling tiles will lose integrity from the water and should be replaced. HEPA filters and HEPA fan filter units are not designed to be exposed to water and will need to be replaced.
3. Smoke Damage
Smoke damage can occur even if the fire is not near the cleanroom. Smoke particles can be as small as 0.1 microns and pass through HEPA filters contaminating the cleanroom. The cleanroom AC unit should have a smoke detector and shut down the AC system once it detects smoke therefore avoiding drawing smoke into the cleanroom. However, smoke can enter the cleanroom from exterior even if the cleanroom AC is not on. Most customers at minimum will do a thorough wipe down of the cleanroom, replace MERV filters on air return walls, replace MERV filters on make up air grills, do full service on cleanroom AC unit, and do an at rest particle test to determine if the cleanroom is still functioning to class. Depending on the particle test results, it is common to replace HEPA fan filter units and ceiling tiles.
Summary: If your cleanroom had a fire or was in a building that had a fire, it is very possible there was fire damage, water damage or smoke damage. Repair of the cleanroom can range from as simple as thorough cleaning and a particle test, to much more such as replacement of damaged walls, damaged HEPA fan filter units and damaged ceiling tiles. In order for the damaged cleanroom to serve its purpose of providing a controlled environment meeting the cleanroom classes, it is critical that these repairs be done.
Author: The author Anthony Chien has worked at American Cleanroom Systems for past 12 years. He has more than 40 years of cleanroom experience. Anthony has a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering specializing in semiconductor manufacturing from the University of Illinois. American Cleanroom Systems is a design build modular cleanroom manufacturer based in Rancho Santa Margarita CA. It is expert in ISO-5 through ISO-8 (class 100 to class 100k) modular cleanrooms for pharmaceutical cleanrooms, medical device cleanrooms, and industrial cleanrooms.
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