No Detail Too Small

Richard Eason / March 7, 2019

As many frustrated project engineers, construction managers, and facility owners can attest, there is no such thing as a small detail. Even seemingly insignificant items can keep a facility offline or delay startup. WorkingBuildings’ commissioning efforts include being mindful not only the big items, but also paying attention to smaller items that can negatively impact a project’s startup or continuance.

I’ve had a great deal of recent experience with the no detail too small principle. On one project site, a GMP and USP regulated facility, there were threaded test port plugs on the HEPA units. These ports are needed for injecting the test media upstream of the filters. Testing is required as part of cleanroom certification process for startup, and re-certification is required periodically to be compliant and remain in operation. The threaded SS plugs were cross-threaded. The result was potentially catastrophic:

• The cross-threaded plugs were difficult to remove, with damage present to the plug and to female thread port
• Extra time and effort were needed for testing
• There was a risk of false leak indication
• There was damage to one filter from the extra muscle and tools needed to remove and replace fittings.
• HEPA filters typically have long lead times. Unless there are adequate supply of spares on hand, a faulty HEPA filter can result in weeks of delay. (Fortunately, there was a spare on hand in this case.)
• Potential for delayed startup
• Potential for increased downtime later at subsequent re-certifications

Another example involves a paint defect at a client’s cleanroom. The top coat of a 2-part epoxy was missed in a few spots, leaving only the latex primer exposed, which will not withstand the aggressive cleaning agents and disinfectants used on cleanroom surfaces. Over time, painted surfaces are damaged and degraded, leaving drywall material exposed.

Why is this a reoccurring issue? I think that the problem is two-fold. First, I think there is a lack of quality control on site. Even though there are usually construction superintendents on site, it’s hard for them to be everywhere all the time. They are usually consumed with bigger issues, but there are a lot of details that can be overlooked. One thing that WorkingBuildings offers is our Continuous Quality Control during the construction projects so we can look out for potentially serious material and method issues during construction.

Another factor is time constraint. Some contractors feel rushed by time pressure, and sometimes, the most skilled people are not the ones working on facility projects. That is another reason to take a close look at the people who are working for a contractor. If a contractor has people working at a cleanroom who have never worked at one before, that’s probably not a contractor you want working on your project.

The lesson learned by all of this is that there is no detail too small that can affect the ability of a facility to perform as needed.