Life happens, biohazards are not pleasant but they happen

When you think of a biohazard clean up, usually it involves a sewer or septic line that has backed up and pushed black water into your home. However, sewage is not the only biohazard we deal with. We also clean up and sanitize after a trauma or crime has occurred. No one wants to deal with this or to think of something like this, but it happens and it must be handled properly by qualified technicians. Whether it from the death of animals or humans, blood and bodily fluids can be contaminated and dangerous. Appropriate cleanup is essential.

PuroClean Disaster Response was recently called to a Boulder county property to deal with just such an event.  All of our technicians are trained by the IICRC and we follow IICRC guidelines for biohazard cleanup.  IICRC is the governing agency for our industry setting standards and defining best practices for the situations we deal with.

It occurred on a balcony on a cold evening.  The cold weather actually helped to contain and limit the spread of contamination.  Technicians on these jobs have to wear complete kit of personal protective gear.  All contaminated areas must be scrubbed, cleaned and sanitized.  Any textiles exposed to the contaminants must be bagged, sealed, properly labeled and disposed of in accordance with local laws.

In this case we were dealing with towels and some bedding.   After collecting and bagging the loose items our technician proceeded with the cleanup and decontamination process.  Using hot water and QD-64, which is a biocide, he scrubbed the contaminated floor of the balcony with a wire brush to clean any stray remnants of organic matter left behind.

Following the scrubbing, our technician used disposable towels to thoroughly wipe down the surface, and proceeded to use a portable steam cleaner to sanitize the trauma scene. Finally, another application of QD-64 was used on all surfaces to ensure that no pathogens remained. Walls, doors and floors; all had to be cleaned, thoroughly inspected and sanitized.

With the biohazard cleaning and decontamination complete it was now time to do a final walk thru inspection and ensure that there were no biological contaminants left anywhere in the room.  Finally, it was time to remove the bagged biohazard waste and dispose of it. We follow all federal, state and local protocols in disposing of any biohazard waste so as to ensure no pathogens escape our clean up.

Clearly, this is a hard subject to discuss or even think about, but we want you to know that you are in good hands if you ever find yourself in need of these services.