Scarf in Clean Room instead of Hair cover?

If a scarf is worn for religious reasons (all hair is covered), does that person also have to wear a hair cover in a ISO 7 (Class 10,000) Clean Room?

The rules of gowning in a clean room are set by..........your company.

The rules of how many particles over 0.5um exist in a cubic foot, or meter...those are set by ISO7 cert.

It's about the air...not how particles get into the air.
Y'all call it...then measure the data. If the scarf puts too many particles in the air, you have your answer.

I agree. If you are wearing clean room gowns, then maybe you need to looking into cleanroom gowns religious hair coverings. I don't know if anything like that exists, but I'm sure you could come of with something if you needed to. If all employees are wearing everyday clothes and it's not a problem with your counts, and I assume the head covering would be made out of similar material, and all is good.

As far as hair control, I would say yes, the covering is fine, just like a shirt covers chest hair.

The others covered it pretty well. Respecting religious observations usually has a Reasonable accommodation rider to it.

Also, it should have been clear up front on the job description that due to bioburden, jewelry hair coverings, etc. would not be permitted.

I would try to encourage wearing uniforms designed for the clean room. There are many hoods designed for the head/face. When this individual is gowning, he/she can gown alone and take off the existing head cover and replace with one of these.

BradM said:

I would try to encourage wearing uniforms designed for the clean room.

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Me too...but let's be clear about the reason (for me anyway)...
Clean room BEHAVIOR is the #1 source for ISO7 and up rooms (10K and dirtier). In my experience, the number 1 result of special gowning has nothing to do with covering...it is a mental shift to a different behavior.
We required Tyvek coats in our cleanroom...totally useless for the air, but it changed the behavior.
If they had been in my 10K cleanroom in street clothes, it still would have passed no problem...as long as they acted the same.
100% of our gowning requirements were to adjust behavior and be a reminder...

Gowning procedure excuses no one. We have operators with different faith and all of them follow what it is written in the gowning procedure.

kuyakut said:

Gowning procedure excuses no one.

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Quite true...but I trust that your gowning procedures were made as accommodating as possible to those personal beliefs instead of being simply functional without regard to employee comfort/conscience.
Once the procedures are in place, they must be followed...but care should be taken when drafting them in the first place.

Amen to no lattitude re: "Clean Room Procedures"....they are there for a reason. Generally speaking, most clean room operations, assembly processes are very risk/contamination adverse...failures costly, etc. My first "greenhorn" post graduation position, required such procedures...no facial hair, regardless of supplemental clothing protection.

Ninja said:

Quite true...but I trust that your gowning procedures were made as accommodating as possible to those personal beliefs instead of being simply functional without regard to employee comfort/conscience.
Once the procedures are in place, they must be followed...but care should be taken when drafting them in the first place.

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Of course we always accommodate everyone's belief, and also during hiring process we always explain to them that they need to wear full bunny suit and /or hairnet depending on the department they will be assigned to. If they are not comfortable with it, they may opt to reassigned to other department.