Preventative Decontamination: Safety, Technology and Innovation featuring Josh Bowman

Josh Bowman started his career in Critical Environments while he was pursing his Political Science degree in college. His attention to detail and quality while working in Critical Environments spark his interests to stay in the industry as those qualities are essential to become successful in the field. He came from a reputable Navy family and was a varsity football player in high school. This taught him discipline and enabled him to look at this business in a structured and systematic way.

His emphasis in Political Science was Law Review as he was was interested in becoming an Attorney at the time. Over the years he recognized that he excelled in analyzing data and performing root cause analyses on a variety of issues that arise in Critical Environments. What has become his passion in Critical Environments is finding solutions for all customers’ pain points. “I like to investigate and provide solutions (most of which are much more cost effective than they originally planned).”

Josh joined Pegasus in October 2019. “Jeff Becker brought me onboard as the VP of Operations, Critical Environments and I can’t explain how thankful I am for his trust in me.” Pegasus had an established Critical Environment division when he joined but it was a very small part of Pegasus’ book of business. What he wanted to do was put systems and structures into place so they were prepared for future growth.

When he got here there was 1 Manager and 3 Supervisors. Since then, he’s brought in 2 Director positions, 5 Manager positions, an Operations Coordinator and 5 Field Supervisors. Additionally, with a lot of support from his team, they’ve created a robust training program that he’s always wanted. Josh acknowledged that training is crucial in this industry and wanted to have the best! “I couldn’t be more thankful for the team we have!”

Josh’s goal is to make Pegasus the premier Critical Environment Cleaning Company in the country. He wants to make our customers’ lives easier so they can better concentrate on changing the world!

How is hydrogen peroxide (H202) fogging used to keep people safe in a controlled environment?

Fogging, in general, is the preferred method because it gets into areas mechanical cleaning cannot. We use hydrogen peroxide because it has antibacterial and antiviral qualities and works better than white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and acetic acid. Hydrogen peroxide is used as an antiseptic because it kills bacteria cells by destroying the cell’s walls. It is also more effective than chlorine bleach at reaching and killing mold on porous surfaces. It is good for cleaning walls, glass, doorknobs, countertops and other hard surfaces.

What technologies are used to prevent and eliminate contamination in indoor environments?

HEPA filters, positive pressure, non-porous surfaces, water resistant caulking, tacky or anti-bacterial mats, and special garments are all used to prevent contamination in cleanrooms. In a perfect world that’s all you would need but since the activities in a cleanroom can cause contamination there needs to be both a mechanical and chemical process to eliminate contamination. Mechanical cleaning is using cleanroom compatible mops and wipers to physically remove contaminants.

This is all based on technique so no surface is left untouched. There needs to be a combination of both a disinfectant and alcohol to remove and kill any contaminants. It is also recommended to use a sporicidal agent at least once per month to eliminate hard to kill spores. Since the mechanical process is done by humans there are chances there will be some surfaces missed in the cleaning process. To account for this it is recommended a cleanroom receive Hydrogen Peroxide Fogging periodically in order to prevent contamination from growing in hard to reach areas.

There are many applicators on the market now but using an applicator that aerosolizes or vaporizes the liquid is key. Any droplet size above 40 microns will get the area too wet and not suspend itself in the air. Aerosol or vapor enables the solution to suspend itself longer in the air and eventually get into all areas of the cleanroom.

What kind of contaminants other than pathogens can enter your controlled environment?

Pathogens are not usually found in controlled environments. In fact most bacteria are nonpathogenic and most biotech cleanrooms are working on vaccinations that prevent pathogens. Non-pathogenic Bacteria, mold and spores are common bioburden in a cleanroom. Other contaminants include humidity, temperature, static discharge and particulates. The number one contaminant in cleanrooms are actually humans.

What makes hydrogen peroxide fogging the most efficient and safe option for ensuring that your indoor environment is safe and operational again?

One of the most economical and safe ways to disinfect is with hydrogen peroxide. It offers a natural way to sanitize your facility without using dangerous and toxic chemicals. The byproduct of using Hydrogen Peroxide is water. This means there is no toxic chemical residue left behind. It’s safe to enter the facility after the levels of Hydrogen Peroxide are at 1 PPM or less.