SOP for Cleaning, Operation and Monitoring of Laminar Air Flow Unit

Objective:

To describe the procedure to be followed for cleaning, operation & monitoring of laminar airflow.

Scope:

Applicable to the Laminar Airflow unit in the Microbiology Laboratory of the Quality Control Department.

Responsibility:

Lab Attendant: Cleaning the outer surface of LAF daily.

Microbiologist: To perform the analysis and clean the bench of LAF before and after completion of work.

Accountability:

Head - Quality Control.

Procedure:

Cleaning:

Daily:

Clean the outer surface of the laminar airflow unit (LAF) with a cotton cloth soaked in 70% v/v IPA (0.45 m filtered) followed by wiping with a dry cotton cloth.
Before starting & after completion of any work, clean the bench of LAF with a cotton cloth soaked in 70% IPA (0.45 m filtered).

Operation:

Ensure the cleanliness of the laminar airflow bench.
Check the manometer scale before starting LAF, the scale must show the level as “0”.
Switch ON the main power supply. Switch ON the laminar airflow unit by operating the ON/OFF switch located at an upper panel of the laminar airflow.
Start the laminar airflow approx. 15 minutes before use.
Ensure that the manometer scale of all LAF is more than 10 mm. If the manometer reading falls below 10mm, then inform the engineering department.
Note down the reading as per the SOP Titled “Monitoring of differential Pressure in Laminar Air Flow”.
After completion of work clean the LAF.
Switch OFF the laminar airflow & main power supply.

Monitoring:

Ensure the cleanliness of laminar airflow.
Switch ON the laminar airflow by operating the ON/OFF switch located at an upper panel of laminar airflow.

Settle plate Exposure:

Frequency: Twice a week.

Expose 2 SCD agar plates in LAF for 1 hour and then close the lid of the plate as per SOP Titled” Environmental monitoring of microbiology laboratory”.
Collect all exposed plates & Incubate the plates in an inverted position at 30-35°C for 2 days followed by 20°C – 25°C for 3 days to check for microbial contamination.
After incubation observes the plates and counts the number of colonies. Record the results as per SOP Titled “Environmental monitoring of microbiology laboratory”.
Validation for DOP test, Velocity, and Particle count is to be performed by an Approved outside party (Frequency: Every six months).
After the validation put the label.

Annexure

Nil

Revision History

Nil