Pharmaceutical industries are involved in the production of different types of drug products. It is a requirement of GMP & all other regulatory bodies that drug products must be free from any microbial growth, contamination & cross-contamination.
All the activities related to the drug products are performed in classified areas to ensure the quality of drug products.
In cleanrooms, the floor of an area plays an important role in maintaining its class & sterility level.
Flooring HistoryÂ
In old times all pharmaceutical industries had conventional types of tile or marble floors which are not a good choice according to good manufacturing practices.
Why Tiles & Marble Floor Is Not Used In Pharma
The use of tile & marble floor is discouraged in pharmaceutical industries for numbers of reasons which are given below,
- The tile or the marble floor surface is not smooth.
- The tile & marble floor surface is porous.
- There are gaps & joints between tiles or marbles.
- The gaps, joints or cracks in marble or tile floors provide a medium for microbial hide.
- The joints and gaps in the marble floor are difficult to clean.
- Water is a good Medium for microbial growth & due to the accumulation of water in these gaps or cracks, microbial growth is promoted.
- Accumulation of dust or powders in these gaps or joints may result in cross-contamination.
Note
- Some pharmaceutical industries have sheet-like PVC flooring which is spread & fixed over the tiles or marble floors. This type of flooring is also a big source of microbial contamination when it is damaged or ruptured.
- This type of flooring also has joints that are sealed very precisely but due to any rupturing of PVC sheets or joints, the water & powder accumulate below this floor which may contaminate our products.
- Another drawback of this type of flooring is that it is easily damaged under heavy loads.
Best Pharma FloorÂ
To cope with all the above-mentioned challenges epoxy flooring is used in pharmaceutical industries due to too many benefits which we will discuss in this article.
What Is Epoxy Flooring?
Epoxy flooring is a combination of resins & hardeners that form a resistant, durable, easy-to-clean film over the ground.
Benefits Of Epoxy Flooring
Following are some main benefits of epoxy flooring in pharmaceutical & other healthcare facilities.
SeamlessÂ
Seamless is one of the main advantages of epoxy for which it replaced the tiles or marble floor in pharma.
Seamless means the epoxy flooring does not have any seams or joints.
Microbial Hides
Due to the seamless property of the epoxy, there are no bacterial hides in epoxy because there are no gaps or joints in the epoxy floor.
There are no chances of water accumulation in the epoxy floor due to lack of gaps so it doesn’t promote microbial growth.
Cross Contamination
The powder is not accumulate in the epoxy floor as the epoxy floor is seamless so chances of cross-contamination are prevented.
Easy to Clean
The epoxy floor has a smooth & non-porous surface so it can easily be cleaned & sanitized.
Spillage Protection
Epoxy floor is resistant to various acids & chemicals so provide floor protection in case of any spillage.
Operator Safety
Epoxy floors provide a slip-resistant surface so it reduces the chance of accidents due to slippery floors. For slip resistance a grit is added into the epoxy floor.
Durability
Epoxy flooring is more durable as compared to tiles or marble.
Epoxy floor can bear more load of transportation in pharma & is not damaged.
Installation & Maintenance
The installation of the epoxy floor is very easy & its maintenance is also very simple & cost-effective.
 Glossy FinishÂ
The epoxy floor has a very shiny glossy surface which results in the reflection of light. Due to this feature any dust, dirt or powder on the surface of epoxy flooring can easily be detected & cleaned.
Image Credit
Image Source – Google | Image By – Clifford FlooringÂ