Traumatic accidents or events that may have resulted in injury or death, need the services of certified biohazard restoration professionals. This biohazard cleaning consists of the extreme cleansing and application of EPA approved hospital grade disinfectants and then thoroughly deodorizing the premises. Chemical spills, blood, and human or animal remains are situations of biohazard materials that call for professional remediation.

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

Bear in mind that state employees aren’t required to sanitize crime scenes. When the authorities and investigators have completed gathering their evidence, the burden falls to the owner of the property to arrange biohazard cleaning services. Only after police have collected all evidence and have re-opened the scene will biohazard cleanup technicians start their work.

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 much more. In 1991, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) set forth a standard to protect all workers from dangers due to blood or other possible infectious materials (BOPIM).

Approximately 5.6 million workers are helped by this standard in healthcare jobs and related fields, and includes biohazard remediation companies too. The BOPIM standard also covers the biohazard cleaning and restoration industry.

Also, the BOPIM standard has several requirements, including:

• 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 Situations

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

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

Is Certification Needed to Perform Biohazard Cleanup?

To work as a biohazard specialist, a certification is not required. However, biohazard specialists are obligated to wear proper PPE when working in areas with bloodborne pathogens. The state of Georgia recently put into law which affects any firm providing cleanup services related to traumatic event locations and crime scene cleanup and restoration. Therefore, you should refer to local city, state, and federal laws that could 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.

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

Additionally, well established restoration companies offer biohazard cleanup training for new employees. The training consists of learning on-the-job safety procedures as set by OSHA, for handling biohazardous materials. Learning these methods reduce dangers of accidents, or even potential lawsuits.

PuroClean Biohazard Cleanup Procedures

• The first step of the restoration crew is to inspect and flag all areas that need biohazard cleanup, perform a health and safety assessment, and identify the magnitude of the biohazard cleanup. When the specialists have a plan mapped out, restoration begins immediately
• All technicians will take measures to ensure their safety and the safety of anyone near the biohazard affected areas.
• The PuroClean technicians will then remove and dispose of all possibly infectious materials from your property.
• OSHA rules dictate exactly the way hazardous medical waste is to be handled. For example: spinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, and any other bodily fluids are carefully handled and moved to a licensed hazardous medical waste incinerator.
• Per state regulations and industry guidelines, technicians are required to dispose of porous materials like fabric and carpeting that cannot be properly cleaned.
• Non-porous items that are salvageable will be cleaned 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 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 usually be controlled by the eradication 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

PuroClean restoration specialists are very aware of their actions and make efforts to not add to an already difficult situation. With any type of property damage, the feeling of loss experienced by the property owners is already quite high, and we try not to add to this stress. Owners and technicians of PuroClean try very hard to be extra sensitive, with full understanding of the extreme emotions and traumatic situations being experienced. PuroClean will constantly show empathy, extra care and compassion.

The PuroClean RapidDefense™ Program

The RapidDefense™ Program by PuroClean is the absolute most efficient way to clean, which involves using of EPA approved hospital-grade disinfectants in common areas, high traffic zones. This cleaning system helps halt the spread of pathogen-based sickness germs, like Influenza, Norovirus, and the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These cleaning methods use Environmental Protection Agency-registered, safe products to give up to three months of safe-guard against pathogens. Contact PuroClean before an outbreak can occur, and to help you to maintain the cleanest conditions possible.

For Biohazard Cleaning Services, Call PuroClean!

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

PuroClean’s commitment to quality, compassion and timeliness of delivery throughout the entire project propels us above all other competition, and makes us the clean choice in the industry. PuroClean vows to put in the time to rescue, clean and restore required locations in all communities within 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 cleaners 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 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.