In many cases, dealing with biohazard materials means working with chemical spills, blood, human or animal remains. A traumatic accident that resulted in injury or death are circumstances that call for biohazard restoration. The actual biohazard cleanup consists of cleaning, applying EPA approved hospital grade disinfectants, and deodorizing areas where traumatic events have taken place.

Biohazard Cleanup Services Include

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

After police and investigators have gathered all the evidence from a crime scene, they are no longer responsible for any of the actual cleaning of the scene. Once police release the scene, the responsibility falls on the owner of the premises to employ biohazard cleaning services. The biohazard cleaning crew can only begin their work after authorities 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 possibly infectious materials (BOPIM). Infectious pathogens for example are the Hepatitis B virus, HIV, the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and many others.

Approximately 5.6 million workers in the medical field and related occupations are covered by this standard. The biohazard restoration and cleaning field is also covered under the BOPIM standard.

Additionally, the BOPIM standard includes several prerequisites, including:

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

Common Biohazard Scenarios

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

Each and every time that PuroClean professionals handle materials that are possibly hazardous, they are taking a chance of significant 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 tenants who will later reside and occupy the affected space once the biohazard cleanup and restoration is finished.

Is Certification Needed to Perform Biohazard Cleanup?

It is not particularly necessary to obtain a certificate to become a biohazard technician. Although OSHA does require biohazard technicians to correctly wear PPE when working with bloodborne pathogens. Also, you will want to check your local city, state, and federal regulators for certain licensing requirements, laws, background checks, fingerprinting, or any other factors that may be needed to perform remediation services. For example, the state of Georgia passed a law that includes companies providing remediation services linked to trauma and crime scene cleanup.

PPE is the last line of defense and helps ensure the safety of workers. The equipment blocks hazardous material from entering the body through the skin, eyes, mouth, nose, or any additional area. Although PPE differs from job to job, it should always have full-face protection, cut resistant and nitrile gloves, properly designated waterproof coveralls, and a respirator.

Reputable and trustworthy remediation firms train their technicians to work in the biohazard restoration industry. This training includes teaching OSHA’s guidelines for handling biohazardous waste. This training protects everyone involved: technicians, bystanders, and future occupants. Furthermore, the risk of accidents and potential lawsuits goes down greatly.

Our Biohazard Cleanup Process

• First, the remediation crew will identify the affected areas, completes a health and safety evaluation, and determines the magnitude of the biohazard cleanup. Once a plan is devised, remediation efforts begin as quickly as possible.
• The crews then take precautions to maintain their safety and that of other individuals near the cleanup site.
• All potentially infectious materials are eradicated from the site and properly disposed of.
• Hazardous medical waste, such as spinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, and other bodily waste, is handled in strict accordance with OSHA regulations and transferred to a licensed hazardous medical waste incinerator.
• Porous items like fabric and carpeting that can’t be effectively cleaned are removed following industry guidelines and state regulations.
• Non-porous materials are either cleaned with hospital-grade disinfectants if the items appear to be salvageable, or taken away and discarded if non-restorable.
• After cleanup is completed, technicians deodorize the affected locations, and will ensure all affected areas are returned to pre-loss conditions in appearance and cleanliness. One way to ensure that the area has been cleaned and ready for occupancy is to have clearance tests performed by a licensed Industrial Hygienist.
• Removal of uncleanable contaminated materials, cleaning, and use of hospital-grade disinfectants are often enough to control odors, and in some difficult situations, other methods of deodorization are implemented to accomplish the desired effects.

Biohazard Cleanup Services Provided with Empathy

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

The PuroClean RapidDefense™ Program

The RapidDefense™ Program by PuroClean is the absolute best 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 sickness germs, like Influenza, Norovirus, and the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These cleaning procedures use Environmental Protection Agency-registered, safe products to give up to three months of safe-guard against pathogens. Call PuroClean before an outbreak occurs, and to help you to maintain the cleanest premises possible.

For Biohazard Cleaning Services, Call PuroClean!

When in need of biohazard restoration services, call the PuroClean professionals to clean and remediate the contaminated site. Our technicians use state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to effectively remediate the affected areas.

The expert level of our restoration work, the quickness in which we deliver these services, and the compassion of our team throughout this trying time, helps to make us your go-to biohazard damage restoration company. We vow to do whatever it takes to help and rescue properties in all of the towns, cities, and communities with 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 location that may be able to help you.

Cleaning and application of hospital grade disinfectants 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 re-contaminated after cleaning, and because the coronavirus is also spread person-to-person, PuroClean’s cleaning services are not guaranteed to stop 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.