The Importance of Effective Air Filtration in the Pharmaceutical Sector

Phil Black - PII Editor 17/06/2019

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The pharmaceutical industry must abide by strict rules on air quality for a number of reasons. This is not just a matter of consumer safety; it is also essential to worker health and safety. They must deal with not only dust, but raw materials and potentially hazardous materials on a daily basis.

Let’s look at the importance of effective air filtration in the pharmaceutical business and why you should consider a high-quality air filtration system as an investment in your business.

The Removal of Contamination that Threatens Your Customers

Anything that comes into contact with the pharmaceuticals can contaminate it. Making matters worse is the fact that those taking the pharmaceuticals are typically ill. Unfiltered air contains things like mould, viruses, bacteria and spores that cannot be allowed to reach them on top of dust, asbestos and other substances you find in the average building.

Staff Safety

Advanced air filtration is essential to the protection of your staff. Good air filtration minimises their risk of contracting an infection or inhaling chemicals that could cause harm.

The nano-materials that are increasingly used in the pharmaceutical industry pose a risk to your staff as well. They could cause inflammation or lung damage if inhaled. This is why using HEPA filters like those offered by providers like the Discount Filter Store are essential to remove nanoparticles and other hazardous materials from the air.

These particles are even more prevalent than most of us realise since it is a key component in tablet coatings and even packaging operations. Staff should also be protected from the residue of the pharmaceuticals you’re manufacturing. Trace amounts of hormones, steroids and cytotoxins can cause illness if inhaled for a long period of time.

Consider installing additional air filtration units in changing rooms, break rooms and public spaces. This will remove as many contaminants as possible from the environment and show employees that you are trying to maintain a safe environment.

Improved Margins in Your Manufacturing Operations

Pharmaceutical manufacturing requires very tight specifications for air quality, ventilation, temperature and humidity. If any of these parameters are out of specification, production suffers. You may have to dispose of defective products, and this costs far more than a lot of warped plastic toys.

Good air filtration systems that are easy to maintain while removing all potential contaminants maximise your production rate and product quality. The best air systems will maintain the proper conditions for your raw materials and finished products, extending their life and preventing spoilage. And it will remove excess heat and any stray particles generated by tablet-forming processes.

If you have a well-designed and properly maintained air filtration system, your staff will be comfortable as well. This will result in higher productivity than you’d see when people are bogged down in expensive hazmat suits or eager to leave a dry, stuffy clean room.

You avoid problems like someone having an allergic reaction because they were exposed to traces of the antibiotic you were packaging just as you’ve prevented the same particles from contaminating the steroids you were producing.

Air filtration is key to keeping a pharmaceutical business running successfully. One small mistake could risk the contamination of products, employees or the general public, making it one of the most pressing issues in the pharmaceutical world today.