Biohazard Cleanup Services in Elkton

In most cases, working with biohazard materials means working with chemical spills, blood, human or animal remains. A traumatic event that resulted in injury or death are situations that call for biohazard remediation. The actual biohazard cleanup consists of cleaning, applying EPA approved hospital grade disinfectants, and deodorizing areas where traumatic events have occurred.

Biohazard Cleanup Services Include

• Hoarding Cleanup
• Crime Scene Cleanup
• Deodorization and Odor Control
• Sewage Cleanup and Sanitation
• Virus Decontamination and Protection
• Blood and Bodily Fluid Remediation

After police and investigators have gathered all the evidence from a crime scene, they are no longer responsible for any of the actual sanitizing of the scene. Once police release the crime scene area, the responsibility falls on the owner of the premises to procure biohazard cleaning services. The biohazard cleaning crew can only begin their work after police have officially released the scene.

The Blood Or Other Potentially Infectious Materials Standard

In 1991, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) put forth a standard to protect workers from the risk of blood or other potentially infectious materials (BOPIM). Infectious pathogens include the Hepatitis B virus, HIV, the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and many more.

The standard helps protect approximately 5.6 million workers in the healthcare field and related jobs, which also includes biohazard restoration businesses. Biohazard remediation is within the scope of the BOPIM standard.

Additionally, the BOPIM standard includes several requirements, as follows:

• Conduct a Health and Safety Assessment (OSHA requirement)
• Using work practice controls
• Using appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Proper handling, transport, and disposal of hazardous medical waste materials
• Specific required vaccinations
• Mandatory training
• Record keeping

Common Biohazard Scenarios

• Coronavirus contamination
• Chemical hazards
• Animal waste or remains
• Hoarding scenes
• Blood and bodily fluid
• Suicide or death
• Crime or homicide scenes

Every instance that technicians need to handle potentially hazardous materials, it is done so at a significant risk. Therefore, adhering to safety guidelines and proper training is necessary. The importance of these rules are both for the workers and people who will later occupy the previously biohazard affected space. The technicians and residents depend on these safety procedures. The safety of both technicians and residents from biohazard dangers is of utmost importance during and after the project.

Does Biohazard Cleanup Require Certification?

To be employed as a biohazard technician, a certificate is not required. However, biohazard technicians are obligated to wear correct PPE when working in areas with bloodborne pathogens. The state of Georgia recently put into law which affects any firm providing remediation services related to traumatic event locations and crime scene cleaning and restoration. Therefore, you need to review and follow local city, state, and federal laws that may call for specific licensing or have certain rules and regulations in place for licensing requirements, background checks, fingerprinting or additional factors that may apply to biohazard cleanup performance.

Personal Protective Equipment or PPE stands as the final line of defense that aids in keeping workers safe. PPE prevents any hazardous materials from coming into contact with workers, through skin, eyes, nose, mouth, or any other contact. The type of PPE does vary depending on the particular work, however, it should always consist of properly designated waterproof coveralls, nitrile gloves which are also cut resistant, full-face guard, and a respirator.

Reputable remediation companies provide biohazard restoration training for employees. Learning OSHA’s on-the-job safety processes for handling biohazard waste is included in the coursework. The technician’s training greatly reduces the risk of potential lawsuits and injuries from accidents.

PuroClean Biohazard Cleanup Procedures

• Upon mobilization, the remediation crew will inspect and find all affected locations, conduct a health and safety assessment, and make a determination as to the scope of the biohazard cleanup. When the technicians have a plan laid out, remediation begins right away.
• PuroClean will first take precautions to ensure their safety and the safety of any individuals near the affected areas.
• Technicians then gather and dispose of all potentially infectious materials from the project.
• OSHA regulations will dictate how hazardous medical waste is handled. As an example, spinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, and other body fluids are carefully handled and transported to a licensed hazardous medical waste incinerator.
• Per industry guidelines and state regulations, technicians have to dispose of porous materials such as fabric and carpeting that can’t be adequately cleaned.
• Hospital-grade disinfectants will be used on non-porous items that can be saved. If the items prove to be non-restorable, our specialists will remove and dispose of such items.
• After the cleaning process, technicians will deodorize all affected locations and assure the areas are returned to pre-contamination cleanliness and appearance. One procedure that ensures areas are fully cleansed and ready for people is to have a licensed industrial Hygienist perform clearance testing.
• Odors are normally controlled by the getting rid of uncleanable contaminated items and cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants. However, difficult situations may require further procedures of deodorization to achieve success.

Biohazard Cleanup Services Provided with Empathy

PuroClean restoration specialists are very cognizant of their actions and make attempts to not add to an already stressful situation. With any type of property damage, the feeling of loss experienced by the property owners is already quite high, and we try not to compound stress. Owners and technicians from PuroClean strive to be extra sensitive, with complete understanding of the extreme emotions and traumatic situations present. PuroClean will constantly show empathy, extra care and compassion.

The PuroClean RapidDefense™ Program

The RapidDefense™ Program by PuroClean is the absolute most efficient way to clean, which involves the use of EPA approved hospital-grade disinfectants in common areas, high traffic zones. This cleaning process helps halt the spread of pathogen-based illnesses, like Influenza, Norovirus, and the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These cleaning procedures use Environmental Protection Agency-registered, safe cleaning solutions to give up to 90 days of protection against pathogens. Contact PuroClean before an outbreak can occur, and to help you to maintain the cleanest conditions possible.

For Biohazard Cleaning Services, Call PuroClean!

If your home or business is in need of biohazard cleanup and remediation, contact PuroClean and our team of professionals to thoroughly cleanse and restore your contaminated spaces. PuroClean technicians will sufficiently restore your contamination and damage using state-of-the-art methods and equipment.

The quality of PuroClean’s remediation services, the speed in which we deliver them, and the compassion we demonstrate throughout the process make PuroClean your ideal damage restoration company. We pledge to do whatever it takes to fully clean, remediate and rescue properties in all the communities we serve.

*Please note that not all PuroClean offices offer biohazard cleaning services, please contact the PuroClean home office at 1-800-775-7876 and we will help find a PuroClean location that can help you.

Cleaning and application of hospital grade cleaners of high traffic touched objects and surfaces are the required actions to aid in stopping the spread of respiratory diseases, like coronavirus. Since any surface can be contaminated after cleaning, and because the coronavirus is also spread person-to-person, PuroClean’s cleaning services are not guaranteed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html) for more information regarding coronavirus, its spread, and prevention.