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Principle #8 - Protecting Products Against Contamination By Making Cleanliness a Daily Habit
When implementing a Plant Sanitation Program, an important question we have to ask is - "How clean must we keep ourselves and our workplace???" The answer to this question is not that simple, mainly because the degree of cleanliness depends on the type of products you are manufacturing. For example, a sterile product used in an operating room or a parenteral product injected into a patient's bloodstream requires a high degree of purity (cleanliness).
You must, therefore, design your Plant Sanitation Program to meet the standards of cleanliness necessary to insure the integrity of the specific product you manufacture. The fight against contamination is a constant battle -- one that requires your never ending energy and attention.
Keep the following good sanitation practices in mind as you develop and execute your sanitation practices:
 | Practice good personal hygiene by wearing proper clothing, washing hands thoroughly, and reporting illnesses to your supervisor. |
| Carefully follow all cleaning schedules and written sanitation procedures. |
| Promptly and accurately document your work. |
| Report any condition in the plant or with equipment that might cause product contamination. |
| Protect the plant against outside invasion by using approved pesticides, rodenticides, and insecticides. |
| Routinely check air and water systems to make sure filters are clean, drains are open, and systems are working efficiently. |
| Properly store and remove trash and waste materials. |
| Thoroughly clean all manufacturing equipment. |
The Plant Sanitation Program is the best defense you have to defend your products against contamination. When you think about it, all the defensive "must do's" of good sanitation practice are really nothing more than common sense. Your goal, then, is to make "cleanliness" a part of the GMP "lifestyle." When you do, you are meeting your personal responsibility to defend your products against contamination.
