CLEANING, HYGIENE & DISINFECTION
Revolutionising industrial cleaning with dry ice blasting Dry ice blasting is revolutionising industrial cleaning in South Africa. This non-abrasive, non-toxic innovative cleaning method saves times and leads to increased productivity. By Abby Vorster
To achieve the best possible results in cleaning and disinfection, cleaning staff must be equipped with suitable cleanroom cleaning tools that meet the demands of the facility
because a concentration that is too high can leave residues and increase cost, while overdilution will not achieve the required kill rate. Whilst most disinfectants are tested at 20°C and the temperature in cleanrooms is usually quite stable, there are some concerns when it comes to cold stores in cleanrooms. This is not only due to higher humidity but also lower temperatures, which could necessitate longer contact times. Additional validation might also be required.
TRAINING, SUITABLE TOOLS AND TYPES OF SURFACES The combination of application equipment, operator and technique are essential factors in a successful cleaning and disinfection regime. Operators do require continuous training on cleanroom topics and the correct application of the relevant company SOPs. Providing cleaning staff with suitable cleanroom cleaning tools, which meet the demands of the facility, is important to achieve the best possible results and to minimise operator errors and avoid taking short cuts. It is also important to review cleaning and disinfection SOPs to check for their practicality and ease of understanding. The provided tools, chemicals and cleaning techniques in the SOPs shouldn’t be a stumbling block to a successful cleaning and disinfection regime. Other factors affecting the performance of a cleaning and disinfection system are the types of surfaces as well as shelf life. It’s obvious that expired products shouldn’t be used. Some companies tend to blend their own disinfectants to save costs but typically won’t go through the comprehensive product development cycle and testing of products. Those would include stability and efficacy testing, mode of action, material compatibility, residues etc. Comprehensive testing, change control and guaranteed quality as well as batch-specific certificates (COA – Certificate of Analysis, COI / COS certificate of irradiation / sterility) are part of the regulatory expectations. Whilst from an end-user perspective the chance of cost saving seems easy, chances are that these can lead to regulatory findings or even worse, can cause a microbiological contamination in the cleanroom or final product. Product recalls and reputational damage outweigh the cost of using the right products suitable for the dedicated area. •
basan – www.basan.co.za
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he cleaning method is ideal for a variety of industrial equipment and it can be applied in various industrial settings from pharmaceutical and medical to food and beverage manufacturing, printing and packaging, contract cleaning etc. In the pharmaceutical industry, dry ice cleaning can be used to blast clean stainless-steel containers, reactors, mixers, tablet moulds and separators. It offers several benefits in comparison to traditional cleaning methods and steam cleaning, such as the elimination of harmful bacteria and micro-organisms. The cleaning method does not create secondary waste or chemical residues and it is non-abrasive.
QUICKER CLEANING THAT IS ECO-FRIENDLY Based in Soweto, Kool in Ice now offers dry ice cleaning throughout Gauteng. Kgotso Mashinini founded the business six years ago as a supplier of dry ice and ice cubes to retailers, restaurants and pubs. He recently expanded into dry ice blasting with a focus on cleaning industrial and manufacturing equipment. The dry ice blasting process is a dry, non-toxic and nonabrasive method of cleaning, which is faster, more thorough and environmentally friendly. It also allows for the elimination of environmentally harmful cleaning chemicals and worker exposure to hazardous cleaning agents.
A SUPERIOR CLEANING METHOD Unlike other blast media, dry ice is frozen CO 2 at a temperature of -78.5°C. Dry ice blasting utilises 3mm dry ice pellets, which are accelerated in a pressurised air stream and subsequently directed at the surface to be cleaned. The dry ice freezes the dirt on impact and rapidly sublimates while the CO 2 gas removes frozen dirt without causing damage or abrasion to the surface. Because of the temperature difference between the dry ice particles and the surface being treated, thermal shock occurs during the process aided by kinetic energy. This causes a breakdown of the bond between the two dissimilar materials and results in what Mashinini says “is a far superior method Kgotso Mashinini, founder of Kool in Ice of cleaning”. • Kool in Ice – www.koolinice.co.za/dry-ice-blasting
WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // APRIL 2022
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