Biohazard Cleanup Services in St. Augustine

Traumatic accidents or events that have resulted in injury or death require certified biohazard remediation professionals. Puroclean Emergency Restoration Services’s biohazard cleaning consists of the thorough cleaning and application of EPA approved hospital grade disinfectants and then completely deodorizing the area. Chemical spills, blood, and human or animal remains are types of biohazard materials that call for professional restoration.

Included within the biohazard cleanup services for St. Augustine

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

It is important to remember that Florida state officials are not obligated to clean up a crime scene. When police officials are finished gathering evidence from the area, the responsibility of cleaning the property shifts to the property owner to employ biohazard cleaning professionals. Professional emergency restoration specialists from Puroclean Emergency Restoration Services in St. Augustine can arrive onsite only after the police have gathered all evidence pertaining to the crime.

The Blood or Other Potentially Infectious Materials (BOPIM) Standard

The (BOPIM) standard means “blood or other potentially infectious materials”. Infectious pathogens are generally anything from Hepatitis B, HIV, and even the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and much more. In 1991, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) set forth a standard to protect all employees from risks due to blood or other possible infectious materials (BOPIM).

Approximately 5.6 million employees are helped by this standard in healthcare jobs and related fields, and includes biohazard restoration companies also. The BOPIM standard also includes the biohazard cleaning and removal industry.

Also, the BOPIM standard has several requirements, including:

• 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 Situations

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

Every single time that PuroClean professionals handle materials that are possibly hazardous, they are taking a chance of serious risk to their safety. This is why following precise safety methods and exact training procedures are so important. Following these procedures is not only important to the technician’s safety, but for the safety of property owners who will later reside and occupy the affected space once the biohazard cleanup and restoration is finished.

Biohazard Cleanup Certification Requirements

To be employed as a biohazard specialist, a certification is not required. However, biohazard specialists are obligated to wear proper PPE when working in areas with bloodborne pathogens. The state of Georgia recently passed a law which affects any company providing cleanup services related to trauma and crime scene cleaning and restoration. Therefore, you should refer to local city, state, and federal laws that could call for special licensing or have certain laws in place for licensing requirements, background checks, fingerprinting or more factors that may apply to biohazard cleanup services.

PPE ensures the safety of workers and happens to be the last line of defense. This equipment guards the skin, eyes, mouth, nose and other body parts from being exposed to hazardous material. The extent of PPE used on each job may be different on different projects. However, PPE should always include full face protection, cut resistant and nitrile gloves, properly designated waterproof coveralls as well as a respirator.

Reputable restoration companies provide biohazard restoration training for employees. Learning OSHA’s on-the-job safety methods for handling biohazard waste is a significant part in the coursework. The technician’s training greatly reduces the risk of potential lawsuits or injuries from accidents.

PuroClean Biohazard Cleanup Procedures

• The first step of the restoration crew is to inspect and identify all areas needing biohazard cleanup, perform a health and safety assessment, and identify the scope of the biohazard cleanup. When the technicians have a plan mapped out, restoration will start immediately
• All technicians will take precautions to ensure their safety and the safety of anyone near the biohazard affected areas.
• The PuroClean technicians will then remove and dispose of all possibly infectious materials from your property.
• OSHA rules dictate exactly the way hazardous medical waste is to be handled. For example: spinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, and any additional bodily fluids are carefully handled and transported to a licensed hazardous medical waste incinerator.
• Per state regulations and industry standards, technicians are obligated to dispose of porous materials such as fabric and carpeting that cannot be sufficiently cleaned.
• Non-porous items that can be salvaged will be cleaned with hospital grade disinfectants. If these items are unable to be restored, our technicians will remove and dispose of the items.
• Following the cleaning procedures, technicians deodorize all affected areas and return these areas to pre-contamination shape and appearance. One procedure that proves areas are fully cleansed and ready again for habitation is to have a licensed industrial Hygienist perform clearance testing.
• Odors can normally be controlled by the removal of unsalvageable affected materials and by washing items with hospital-grade disinfectants. However, tough situations may call for additional procedures of deodorization to achieve success.

Empathetically Provided Biohazard Cleanup Services

The massive sense of loss experienced from property damage is not lost on PuroClean technicians. Our restoration specialists and owners make special efforts to be extremely empathetic to those who have suffered property damage and could be emotionally vulnerable. This particular type of cleanup calls for additional care and compassion. Our technicians genuinely empathize with the clients that are unfortunately suffering from this unthinkable situation.

The RapidDefense™ Program by PuroClean

The RapidDefense™ Program by PuroClean is the absolute best way to clean, which involves the use of EPA approved hospital-grade disinfectants in public locations. This cleaning system helps halt the spread of pathogen-based sickness germs, like Influenza, Norovirus, and the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These cleaning methods use Environmental Protection Agency-registered, safe products to give up to 90 days of protection against pathogens. Call PuroClean before an outbreak occurs, and to help you provide the cleanest conditions possible.

For Biohazard Cleaning Services in St. Augustine, Call PuroClean!

If you find yourself in need of biohazard cleaning and restoration expertise, call PuroClean and let us clean and remediate the affected site. Our trained technicians use the newests, state-of-the-art equipment and methods to effectively and efficiently clean and restore your affected property.

PuroClean’s dedication to quality, compassion and speed of delivery throughout the complete project propels us above all other cleaning companies, and makes us the top choice in the industry. PuroClean vows to put in the time to rescue, clean and restore required locations in all communities within our service area.

*As not all PuroClean offices offer biohazard cleaning services, please contact the PuroClean home office at 1-800-775-7876 to help you find a PuroClean office that may be able to help you.

Cleaning and application of hospital grade disinfectants of frequently touched objects and surfaces are the much needed actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, like coronavirus. Since any surface can be re-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 COVID-19. 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.