Biohazard Cleanup Services in Jacksonville

In many cases, dealing with biohazard materials means dealing with chemical spills, blood, human or animal remains. A traumatic event that ended in injury or death are circumstances that require biohazard cleanup. The actual biohazard cleanup involves cleaning, applying EPA approved hospital grade disinfectants, and deodorizing areas where traumatic events have occurred.

Included Within The Biohazard Cleanup Services

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

Keep in mind that the state is not responsible for cleaning up a crime scene. Once police investigators collect evidence from the scene, it is the responsibility of the property owner to employ biohazard cleaning services. A professional cleanup team can arrive onsite only after the police have gathered all 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 possible infectious materials (BOPIM).

An estimated 5.6 million workers in the healthcare industry and related occupations are covered by this standard. The biohazard remediation and cleaning field is also covered under the BOPIM standard.

Additionally, the BOPIM standard includes several requirements, as follows:

• 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)
• Record keeping
• Mandatory training
• Specific required vaccinations

Common Biohazard Scenarios

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

Every single time that technicians need to work with or around potentially hazardous materials, it is performed at a significant risk. Because of this, adhering to safety rules and the correct training is necessary. The importance of these procedures are both for the employees and people who will later occupy the previously contaminated space. The technicians and residents depend on these safety procedures. The safety of both technicians and tenants from biohazard dangers is highly important during and after the project.

Is Certification Needed to Perform Biohazard Cleanup?

Biohazard technicians are not required to procure a certificate for their work. However, biohazard technicians are required, by OSHA, to wear appropriate PPE while working around bloodborne pathogens. Furthermore, for workers to perform biohazard remediation, local, city, state and federal regulations may call for licensing requirements. Laws may be in place that require the technicians to submit to background checks, fingerprinting, or additional actions. Georgia’s requirements are a prime example. The state passed laws that affect businesses who provide trauma and crime scene restoration.

Personal Protective Equipment or PPE stands as the last line of protection that helps keep workers safe. PPE prevents any hazardous materials from coming into contact with workers, through skin, eyes, nose, mouth, or any other exposure. The type of PPE can differ depending on the surroundings, however, it should always include properly designated waterproof coveralls, nitrile gloves which are also cut resistant, full-face protection, and a respirator.

Reputable remediation companies offer biohazard restoration training for workers. Learning OSHA’s on-the-job safety methods for handling biohazard waste is a significant part in the coursework. The technician’s training greatly lessens the risk of potential lawsuits and injuries from accidents.

PuroClean Biohazard Cleanup Procedures

• The first step of the remediation crew is to inspect and flag 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 in place, restoration will start immediately
• All technicians will take measures to ensure their safety and that 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 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 guidelines, technicians are obligated to dispose of porous materials like 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 these items.
• Following the cleaning process, technicians deodorize all affected areas and return these places to pre-contamination condition and appearance. One thing to do that proves areas are fully cleansed and ready again for occupancy is to have a licensed industrial Hygienist conduct clearance testing.
• Odors can usually be controlled by the eradication of unsalvageable affected materials and by cleaning items with hospital-grade disinfectants. However, tough situations may call for additional procedures of deodorization to achieve success.

Empathetically Provided Biohazard Cleanup Services

PuroClean restoration professionals are very cognizant of their actions and make attempts to not add to an already stressful situation. With any type of property damage, the sense of loss felt by the property owners is already quite high, and we try not to compound stress. Owners and technicians of PuroClean strive to be extra sensitive, with complete understanding of the vulnerable emotions and traumatic situations present. PuroClean will constantly show empathy, extra care and compassion.

The PuroClean RapidDefense™ Program

The RapidDefense™ Program by Puroclean is the optimal cleaning process. The RapidDefense™ Program implements the application of EPA approved hospital-grade disinfectants in all public areas. This system aids in blocking the spread of illnesses of pathogen-based origin, like Norovirus, Influenza as well as the Novel coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19). The program’s process calls for using Environmental Protection Agency-registered cleaning solutions that are safe and provide protection against pathogens that last up to three months. To help you create a clean environment, contact PuroClean before an outbreak affects you.

For Biohazard Cleaning Services, Call PuroClean!

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

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

*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 cleaners of frequently touched objects and surfaces are the recommended actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, like coronavirus. Since any surface can be re-contaminated after cleaning, and since 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.