Biohazard Cleanup Is A Meticulous Process That Eliminates All Traces Of Contamination
If there's been a natural death, suicide, homicide, or violent event on your property that left a body, blood, bodily fluids, or tissues behind, you should approach the scene with care once the authorities have left. The property owner is usually responsible for cleaning up the scene, but a biohazard cleanup has to be done properly for your safety. It's usually best to call a professional biohazard cleanup company to do the work. Here are some important steps involved.
Wear Protective Gear
Protection from disease is essential since the workers don't know if the person's blood or fluid carries diseases. Plus, bacteria begin to grow right away, and the longer the body or fluid stays in a warm home, the more the contamination grows. The coroner removes the body, but there may be fluid and other types of remains still in your home. The work crew puts on equipment that covers them from head to toe so their skin doesn't touch anything that's contaminated.
Remove Contaminated Materials
The amount of materials that need to be removed depends on the nature of the scene. Someone who died naturally in their bed won't have as much to clean up as someone who died from a gunshot wound and there is blood spatter everywhere. The crew bags up everything that needs to be removed, such as blankets, possessions, and anything that's porous.
The biohazard trash is usually double bagged so it's safe to remove it from your home and transport it to an authorized disposal site. It's possible your home will need to have the drywall and flooring torn out for disposal. The goal is to remove contaminated items that are porous and difficult to disinfect so that only hard surfaces are left behind to sanitize.
Sanitize The Space
Cleaning and sanitizing your home in the area of the scene can be tedious work since all traces of contamination must be removed and the crew has to be careful not to spread contamination throughout your home.
They may start by cleaning up visible contamination such as blood, tissue, and fluids. Then the crew works on sanitizing the area with biohazard cleanup chemicals. Once that's done, the cleanup crew may place odor-neutralizing machines in the area to kill odors that may be strong if the body wasn't discovered right away.
Restore Your Home
Once contaminated items have been removed and the area has been sanitized, work can begin to replace the flooring, walls, and other items that were taken out of your home. When all the work is done, your home should be back to normal with no contamination present and no odors lingering to remind you of the event.
For more info about biohazard cleanup, contact a local company.