Biohazard cleaning applies in cases involving accidents, injuries, trauma, murder, and suicide. When cleaning the scene, you should have professional equipment, dispose of the waste safely, and comply with OSHA’s standards. Here are seven interesting facts about biohazard cleaning.
1. One Does Not Require Certification to Clean Crime Scenes
Many people assume that only certified professionals should handle biohazard messes, but this is not true. Any employee or employer can clean up blood, bodily fluids, and other waste even if they do not have a certificate.
However, you should follow OSHA’s blood-borne pathogens (BBP) standards. This standard protects the people handling the biohazard from the health issues that blood-borne pathogens may cause. Luckily, many employers train employees who have an interest in biohazard cleaning.
2. Police Officers do not Clean up Crime Scenes
Investigators and law enforcers always visit the crime scene to collect evidence. However, they do not clean up the site. This is because they are not trained to handle biohazard waste materials. Moreover, they do not have the necessary equipment to handle the cleanup process.
For this reason, only professional crime scene specialists hold the responsibility of removing blood-borne pathogens and harmful biological waste. They usually arrive at the scene after the police officials have gathered enough crime-related proof. This arrangement helps to ensure that the cleanup teams do not interfere with any evidence within the crime scene.
3. Most Biohazard Cleanup Techs are Ex-Military and Law Enforcement Personnel
Biohazard cleanup jobs require a person who is exceptionally disciplined and who can handle challenging situations. He or she should also be diligent and thorough in the cleanup protocol and focus on the details of the tasks involved in the cleanup process.
Many former law enforcement officers and military officials meet these qualifications and have experience in dealing with biohazard events and crime scenes. This is why they become professional biohazard cleaners. Moreover, the nature of their former jobs enables them to handle the physical and emotional challenges involved in the biohazard cleanup process.
4. Biohazard Cleanup Professionals are not Limited to Crime Scenes
Property managers, homeowners, and hotel owners often call Biohazard cleanup teams when they have a dead body that resulted from a major crime scene on their properties. However, Suicide Cleanup in Florida also handles other cases like suicide and unattended natural deaths.
Moreover, these professionals may eliminate meth labs or tear gas from a residential or commercial building after law enforcers have used it. Sometimes, they clean up a hoarding situation or decontaminate a house after a bacterial or viral outbreak.
5. Proper Disposal is Crucial
Biohazard cleaners should dispose of human blood and other bodily fluids properly because they can cause infections even weeks or months after spilling on a surface. For example, the hepatitis B virus (HBV) can survive for more than two weeks. Just because the blood is invisible does not mean that the threat is not lingering.
In some cases, the blood may seep into wood or tile, become wet weeks later, and cause blood-borne diseases to become active. To prevent the threat that blood pathogens pose to public health, only a licensed biohazard waste hauler should dispose of the biohazard materials.
This expert should comply with local, state, and federal laws. Moreover, the property owners should replace any porous material, such as carpets or wood, that absorbs bodily fluids.
6. Meth Labs are the Most Hazardous Biohazard Cleanup Sites
The chemicals in a meth lab site make it dangerous and highly toxic. For instance, they increase the risk of fires and explosions. For this reason, biohazard cleanup professionals only start the cleanup process after the law enforcers assess the site thoroughly.
7. Cleanup Techs use Music to Make The Job Easier
Cleaning up a death scene is a difficult scenario. Consequently, cleaning professionals use various coping mechanisms like listening to music or radio and conversations during the job. It helps them handle their job’s emotional aspects and focus on remediation.
Conclusion
Biohazard cleanup helps to keep properties healthy and safe. Removing biohazard materials from a trauma or death scene has physical and emotional traumatic effects, like exposing you to different pathogens. This is why you should contact professional biohazard cleaners rather than taking the job yourself. Ensure that you hire a licensed company with a trained cleaning crew.
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