Biohazard Cleanup Services in Council Bluffs

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

Our Biohazard Cleaning Services:

• 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 not responsible for any of the actual cleanup of the scene. When police release the crime scene area, the responsibility falls on the owner of the premises to hire biohazard cleaning services. The biohazard cleaning crew can only begin their work after police have permanently released the scene.

The Blood or Other Potentially Infectious Materials (BOPIM) Standard

The (BOPIM) standard means “blood or other potentially infectious materials”. Infectious pathogens can be 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 employees from risks due to blood or other potentially infectious materials (BOPIM).

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.

The BOPIM standard also consists of specific 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 risk each and every time they handle items that are potentially hazardous. For this reason, the implementation of proper training and safety precautions are critically important. The training and safety actions are important for both the technicians employed on the project as well as the persons who will be occupying the premises once the biohazard work is complete.

Biohazard Cleanup Certification Requirements

To be employed as a biohazard specialist, a certification is not required. However, biohazard workers are obligated to wear correct PPE when working in areas with bloodborne pathogens. The state of Georgia recently put into law which affects any business providing remediation services related to trauma and crime scene cleaning and restoration. Therefore, you should refer to local city, state, and federal requirements 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 companies.

PPE is the final line of defense and aids to ensure the safety of workers. The equipment prevents hazardous material from entering the body through the skin, eyes, mouth, nose, or any other area. Although PPE is different from job to job, it should always include full-face protection, cut resistant and nitrile gloves, properly designated waterproof coveralls, and a respirator.

Additionally, well established restoration firms offer biohazard remediation training for new technicians. The training includes learning on-the-job safety methods as set by OSHA, for handling biohazardous materials. Learning these methods reduce risks of accidents, or even potential lawsuits.

PuroClean Biohazard Cleanup Process

• The first step of the remediation crew is to inspect and flag all areas that need biohazard cleanup, perform a health and safety assessment, and identify the scope of the biohazard cleanup. When the technicians have a plan in place, restoration begins immediately
• All technicians will take measures to ensure their safety and the safety of anyone close to the biohazard affected areas.
• The crew will then remove and dispose of all potentially infectious materials from the project.
• OSHA regulations dictate exactly how hazardous medical waste is to be handled. As an example: spinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, and any additional bodily fluids are carefully handled and relocated to a licensed hazardous medical waste incinerator.
• Per state regulations and industry guidelines, technicians are required to eradicate porous materials like fabric and carpeting that cannot be sufficiently cleaned.
• Non-porous items that are salvageable will be cleansed with hospital grade disinfectants. If these items are non-restorable, our technicians will remove and dispose of the items.
• Following the cleaning procedures, technicians deodorize all affected locations and return these places to pre-contamination condition and appearance. One procedure that proves areas are completely cleaned and ready again for occupancy is to have a licensed industrial Hygienist conduct clearance testing.
• Odors can normally be managed by the eradication of unsalvageable contaminated materials and by cleaning items with hospital-grade disinfectants. However, difficult situations may call for further procedures of deodorization to accomplish success.

Empathetically Provided Biohazard Cleanup Services

Whether you’re the customer, occupant or owner of the property, PuroClean completely grasps the magnitude of suffering you’re going through. Our restoration crews strive to be exceptionally sensitive and understanding so as not to add to the sense of loss that may be felt. Biohazard cleanup particularly can be especially traumatic. Therefore, all PuroClean employees empathize with all individuals, showing the utmost delicacy and respect throughout the restoration process.

The PuroClean RapidDefense™ Program

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

For Biohazard Cleaning Services, Call PuroClean!

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

The high standard of PuroClean’s restoration services, the timeliness in which we can deliver a finished project, and our authentic empathy all exhibit why we are the perfect choice for your biohazard remediation cleanup needs. PuroClean promises to rescue and restore all properties within our service zones.

*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 items and surfaces are the much needed actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, like coronavirus. Since any location can be re-contaminated after cleaning, and since the coronavirus is also spread person-to-person, PuroClean’s cleaning services can’t be 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.