First fix comprises all the work needed to take a building from foundation to putting plaster on the internal walls.
Electrical installations can be further divided into first, second and third fixes:[1] As modern society's reliance on technology increases, the need to properly house sensitive electronic equipment becomes a greater concern.
For example, for the modern computer server room, equipment would be installed only when dust and atmospheric conditions are minimized and controlled.
Similar to the atmospheric needs of medical and scientific research laboratories, the production of discrete semiconductor devices and integrated circuits is undertaken in a cleanroom atmosphere where low levels of environmental pollutants such as particulates and airborne microbes are strictly minimised and most preferably eliminated.
It is only at the third fix stage, when building site conditions are rendered virtually dust free, so as to minimise the introduction, generation and retention of particles which may contaminate equipment serving the electronics and pharmaceuticals manufacturing process, that the build-out of "clean room" spaces can commence.