Biohazard Cleanup & Removal Services in Austin, TX

In most cases, dealing with biohazard materials means working with chemical spills, blood, human or animal remains. A traumatic accident that ended in injury or death are situations that call for biohazard remediation. The actual biohazard cleanup involves cleaning, applying EPA approved hospital grade disinfectants, and deodorizing locations 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

It is important to remember that the 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 area shifts to the property owner to seek biohazard cleaning professionals. Professional cleanup technicians can arrive onsite only when the police have gathered enough evidence pertaining to the crime.

BOPIM Standard

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

Nearly 5.6 million employees are helped by BOPIM in healthcare positions and related fields, and includes biohazard remediation companies as well. The BOPIM standard also covers the biohazard cleaning and restoration industry.

The BOPIM standard additionally consists of various requirements, such as:

• 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

PuroClean technicians face significant dangers each and every time they handle items that are potentially hazardous. For this reason, the use of proper training and safety precautions are critically important. The training and safety actions are important for both the technicians working on the project as well as the individuals who will be occupying the premises once the biohazard work is complete.

Biohazard Cleanup Certification Requirements

To work as a biohazard specialist, a certificate is not required. However, biohazard specialists are obligated to wear proper PPE when working around bloodborne pathogens. The state of Georgia recently passed legislation which affects any firm providing restoration services related to trauma and crime scene cleanup and restoration. Therefore, you need to review and follow local city, state, and federal requirements that may call for specific licensing or have certain laws in place for licensing requirements, background checks, fingerprinting or more factors that may apply to biohazard cleanup services.

Personal Protective Equipment or PPE is the final line of protection that aids in keeping workers safe. PPE guards against any hazardous materials from touching workers, through skin, eyes, nose, mouth, or any other exposure. Exact PPE can differ depending on the project, however, it should always include properly designated waterproof coveralls, nitrile gloves that are also cut resistant, full-face guard, and a respirator.

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

Our Biohazard Cleanup Process

• The first step of the remediation crew is to inspect and flag all areas needing biohazard cleanup, perform a health and safety inspection, and identify the scope of the biohazard cleanup. When the specialists have a plan in place, restoration begins immediately
• All technicians will take measures to ensure their safety and the safety of anyone near the biohazard affected locations.
• The PuroClean technicians will then eradicate and dispose of all possibly infectious materials from the project.
• OSHA regulations dictate exactly the way hazardous medical waste should be handled. For example: spinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, and any other bodily fluids are carefully handled and transported to a licensed hazardous medical waste incinerator.
• Per state regulations and industry standards, technicians are required to eradicate porous materials such as fabric and carpeting that cannot be properly cleaned.
• Non-porous items that can be salvaged will be cleaned with hospital grade cleaning products. If these items are non-restorable, our technicians will remove and dispose of these items.
• Following the cleaning process, technicians deodorize all affected locations and return these areas to pre-contamination condition and appearance. One thing to do that proves areas are fully cleansed and ready again for habitation is to have a licensed industrial Hygienist conduct clearance testing.
• Odors can normally be managed by the removal of unsalvageable contaminated materials and by washing items with hospital-grade disinfectants. However, tough situations may call for further procedures of deodorization to accomplish success.

Biohazard Cleanup Services Provided with Empathy

As with any type of property damage, PuroClean remediation professionals ensure that their actions do not worsen the sense of loss of the property owners. PuroClean proprietors and technicians are exceptionally sensitive, understanding that the individuals involved can be emotionally vulnerable. When dealing with this type of cleanup, it is imperative to always show additional care and compassion. PuroClean technicians empathize with all materially interested individuals working through these traumatic events.

The RapidDefense™ Program by PuroClean

PuroClean’s RapidDefense™ is the best way to clean, which includes the application of EPA approved hospital-grade cleaning solutions in public areas. Our system helps prevent the spread of pathogen-based illnesses, such as Influenza, Norovirus, and the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This procedure uses Environmental Protection Agency-registered, safe products to give up to three months of barrier against pathogens. Contact us prior to an outbreak occurs to assist you in creating a clean environment.

For Biohazard Cleaning Services, Call PuroClean!

If you find yourself needing biohazard cleaning and restoration expertise, call PuroClean and allow us to 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.

The quality of our 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 promise to do whatever it takes to clean, clea, restore and rescue properties in all the cities and towns we serve.

*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 frequently touched objects and surfaces are the recommended actions to help stop the spread of respiratory diseases, like coronavirus. Since any surface can be re-contaminated following 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.