Decon Airlock Cycle Compliance
VC-MET-409 — the percentage of decon airlock cycles completing their full validated sequence — a procedural-integrity gate.
Definition
Decon Airlock Cycle Compliance is the percentage of decontamination-airlock cycles that complete the full validated sequence (dwell, dose, purge) without deviation. It is a procedural-integrity metric, not a sensor reading.
Why it matters
Every short or skipped decon cycle is a potential carry-through of bioburden between zones. Compliance is held at 100 %; any miss is investigated because containment depends on the airlock barrier being absolute.
Formula
Compliance = compliant cycles / total cycles × 100 [%] A cycle is compliant only if dwell time, agent dose, and purge each meet validated set-points. Any parameter miss fails the whole cycle. Target is 100 %.
Inputs
| Input | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dwell | Validated contact time | CHLORA |
| Dose | Agent concentration·time | PhytoSense Mesh |
| Purge | Clearance to threshold | PhytoSense Mesh |
Units & Scale
Percent of cycles, one decimal, per-airlock and facility roll-up. Decreasing-is-worse: any miss matters.
Sampling & Source
- Evaluated per cycle against validated set-points.
- A single parameter miss fails the whole cycle.
- Facility roll-up trended; misses individually investigated.
Thresholds
OK
WARN
CRIT
Recent Trend
Zone roll-up, last 14 sampling periods (current 100):
Interpretation Guidance
| Band | Reading | Likely Driver | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | Fully compliant | All cycles validated | None. |
| 99–99.9 | Single miss | Isolated deviation | Investigate the failed cycle. |
| 95–98.9 | WARN | Repeated misses | Airlock review; possible OOS. |
| < 95 | CRIT | Barrier unreliable | Out of service; root-cause. |
Related Metrics
Seal Leak Rate
Airlock integrity partner.
VC-MET-406Airborne Spore Load
Carry-through consequence.
VC-MET-401Containment Integrity Index
Composite.
VC-MET-303Alarm Acknowledgement Latency
Response discipline.
Related SOPs
- Procedure deviation — SOP Library.
- Intake & quarantine — SOP Library.