In pharma and R&D environments, dust control protects both product quality and people. Excipients can compromise assays, and potent APIs can present health risks. The goal is consistent containment: capture at source, maintain pressure cascades, and clean without re-suspending particles.

Zoning and movement

• Define clean-to-dirty flows for people and materials. Use pass-through hatches and gowning rooms to reduce open-door time.
• Maintain the specified pressure cascade. Verify with gauges and smoke tests, especially during maintenance or temporary works.

Capture at source

• Use LEV on balances, mills and decanting points. For potent powders, isolators or gloveboxes provide primary containment.
• Fit flexible capture hoods or arms to bench processes. Keep hoods close to the source and record under-load airflow.
• Use sealed transfer (e.g., lined drums, split-valve systems) to avoid open tipping where risk assessments require it.

Control dust in the air

• Terminal HEPA filtration (H14 for fine or hazardous dusts) should be maintained per SOPs with integrity testing.
• For temporary works or during change control, a portable air scrubber can add extra removal capacity and help maintain negative pressure in write-up labs or airlocks.
• A MAXVAC H-Class air cleaner can be deployed as a temporary measure when fixed systems are offline, subject to GMP approval.

Housekeeping without re-suspension

• Ban sweeping and compressed air. Use dedicated H-Class vacuums with H14 filtration and anti-static tools.
• Adopt top-down cleaning: ceilings, lighting, walls, equipment, then floors. Use damp wiping where validated by SOPs.
• Bag-in/bag-out for filters and waste where potent compounds are present. Seal and label promptly.

Monitoring, COSHH and PPE

• Use particle counters and PM meters to trend room performance and spot anomalies after interventions.
• APIs fall under COSHH; consult OELs and ensure RPE selection (often P3) and fit testing align with risk levels.
• Record differential pressures, air change rates and LEV examinations to support audit trails.

Practical takeaways

• Keep pressure cascades stable and verify after any change.
• Place capture hoods close and measure under-load airflow.
• Use H14 filtration for fine or hazardous powders and avoid sweeping.
• De-risk temporary works with portable air cleaning and clear SOPs.
• Trend PM and particle counts to validate control performance.

Well-planned source capture, verified airflow and non-dispersive cleaning keep cleanrooms and labs within specification while protecting staff from exposure.