The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST) will offer two new certificate programs to contamination control professionals at ESTECH 2007, the organization’s annual technical meeting and exposition being held April 29-May 2, 2007, in Bloomingdale, Illinois.

The new certificate program in consumables will comprise three tutorials. “Application of Consumables to the Cleanroom” will cover the practical application of consumables for industrial and regulated industries, including gloves, garments, mops, wipes, and swabs; documentation, surface testing, and documentation supplies; and demonstrations in gowning, cleaning, and testing of surfaces. “Selection, Application, Evaluation, and Testing of Wipers and Swabs” will cover the selection of wipers and swabs, how best to use these consumables in cleanroom applications, and evaluation and testing procedures. The course will also describe test data and procedures being considered in the development of a new Recommended Practice on evaluating swabs, and will include a copy of IEST-RP-CC004. “Evaluation and Testing of Disposable Garments and Gloves” will cover evaluation and testing of apparel, gloves, finger cots, and garment accessories used in cleanrooms and other controlled environments. It will include copies of IEST-RP-CC003 and IEST-RP-CC005.

The second new certificate program will focus on sterilization. The first tutorial, “Introduction to Microbiology and Cleaning/Disinfection,” will provide a basic background in microbiology, cleaning and disinfection, and sterilization, including terms, definitions, and concepts of microbiology. “Sterilization I” will cover radiation and ethylene oxide, the most common sterilization methods used in the medical device industry. “Sterilization II” will focus on cover steam (moist heat) and aseptic processing, the most common sterilization methods used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Each of the tutorials in the certificate program can also be taken as a stand-alone course.