T.E.I. Crime Scene Clean Up

WHAT IS A BIOHAZARD?

Biohazard is a shortened term for biological hazard. It refers to biological substances – potentially dangerous substances that come from living organisms (most typically, from humans). Biohazards include bacteria, viruses and toxins. There are four levels of biohazards, ranked by how dangerous they are to humans.

Minor bacteria and viruses as well as non-infectious bacteria. (Example – chicken pox)

Bacteria and viruses that cause mild disease or are difficult to contract. (Example – hepatitis, Lyme disease, mumps, measles)

Bacteria and viruses that can cause fatal disease BUT we have vaccines and treatments to deal with them. (Example – anthrax, West Nile virus, SARS)

Bacteria and viruses that can cause fatal disease AND we don’t have a vaccine or treatment method. (Example – Marburg virus, Ebola virus)

Biohazards are transmitted in human waste and materials that have been contaminated with human waste. In terms of human waste, this includes liquids (blood and other bodily fluids) and tissues (human organs and bones). In terms of contaminated materials, this can include “sharps” (needles, razor blades, and other things that are contaminated and pose a risk because they can puncture the skin), and other solid contaminants (which includes all non-sharp contaminants such as gloves and other items that have been contaminated).

Being exposed to these elements – waste materials or contaminated materials – puts a person at risk. The contaminated material may contain a range of biohazards, and, therefore, could potentially transmit illness or disease when you come into contact with them.

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What is biohazard cleanup?

Biohazard cleanup is the process of removing biohazardous waste in a safe manner. The cleanup process has specific precautions and steps that must be followed. It is a job for people who have been trained and are certified in the scientific and safe removal of biohazards. We’ll discuss examples and a biohazard cleanup scenario below.

Examples of Crime Scene Restoration & Biohazard Cleanup

Biohazard and crime scene cleanup sounds technical (and it is!) but there are several common scenarios when it is used.

• The police use these services when they clean up a crime scene
• A homeowner or property owner has someone dies in their home, whether it be suicide, homicide or an accidental death.
• Sewage backup and sewage spills.
• Drug crime scenes require biohazard cleanup, for example, the proper disposal of drug needles and the cleaning of meth labs.

Biohazard cleanup is important in a variety of other applications too – any time you are dealing with blood, bodily fluid, human or animal waste, human or animal remains, chemical spills and more.

To put it simply: anytime you are dealing with dangerous materials or potential biological contaminants, you want to call the professionals – not try to handle it yourself.

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HOW OUR BIOHAZARD CLEANUP SERVICE WORKS

Every case is different and will require a specific protocol. To explain how it works, let’s look at one common scenario where biohazard cleanup may be needed by a homeowner or property owner – when someone dies inside the home.

If this unfortunate event happens, the first thing you need to do is call 911. The person will be pronounced dead and then you can arrange to transport the body to a mortuary or crematorium.

After that, it is time to call a biohazard cleanup team. The reason – blood, tissues and bodily fluid have likely contaminated the home, including furniture, flooring and other nearby objects. These things must be cleaned up properly by a trained professional.

The cleanup team will then arrive on the scene. They begin by suiting up, wearing a biohazard suit that will protect them from any contaminants. They then remove any materials that were touched by blood and fluids. These materials will be safely stored and disposed of. After materials have been removed, the team will clean and decontaminate the area.

Every case will have a slightly different procedure, but the basic steps are (1) Respond; (2) Suit Up; (3) Clean & Decontaminate; (4) Dispose of Infected Materials.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Hopefully, the information we have provided answers your main questions about the biohazard and crime scene cleanup process. Some other questions we are frequently asked include:

Who might use our cleanup services?

Police departments routinely use these services to clean up crime scenes. However, anyone who needs clean up potential contaminants should be aware of these services – including homeowners, property owners, property managers, realtors, HOAs, and commercial companies.

How long does it take for the smell to go away?

In many cases, biohazardous waste emits an unpleasant odor and people wonder how long until it will go away. There is not one answer for this question, because it depends on the situation, including the health of the person who died, how long the body has been there, the temperature, and more. T.E.I. Crime Scene Clean Up follows proper procedures to remove the odor as soon as possible.

Will my insurance cover biohazard cleanup?

Biohazard cleanup can be very expensive, but the good thing is that insurance will often cover the costs. In particular, if a person dies in the home and the dwelling is affected, the insurance will typically cover the cleanup.

Has T.E.I. Crime Scene tech been trained and/or certified for biohazard cleanup?

Yes. We have team members who have been certified for trauma cleanup, including being certified to train our other staff members. Our company is also certified to store biohazardous wastes after cleanup.