Biohazard Cleanup Services in San Diego

In most cases, working with biohazard materials means working with chemical spills, blood, human or animal remains. A traumatic event that ended in injury or death are circumstances that require biohazard remediation. 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

It is useful to remember that the state officials are not obligated to clean up a crime scene. When police officials are finished collecting evidence from the area, the duty of cleaning the area shifts to the property owner to employ biohazard cleaning services. Professional cleanup teams can arrive onsite only when the police have gathered all evidence pertaining to the crime.

The Blood or Other Potentially Infectious Materials (BOPIM) Standard

In 1991, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) put forth a standard to protect workers from the risk of blood or other possibly infectious materials (BOPIM). Infectious pathogens include the Hepatitis B virus, HIV, the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and many others.

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

The BOPIM standard also 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)

More 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 practice of proper training and safety steps 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 restoration is complete.

Is Certification Required to Perform Biohazard Cleanup?

It is not obligatory to obtain a certificate to become a biohazard technician. Although OSHA does require biohazard technicians to properly wear PPE when working with bloodborne pathogens. Also, you will want to check your local city, state, and federal regulators for any licensing requirements, laws, background checks, fingerprinting, or any other factors that may be needed to perform remediation services. As an example, the state of Georgia passed a law that affects companies providing remediation services linked to trauma and crime scene cleanup.

Personal Protective Equipment or PPE is the final line of protection that helps keep workers safe. PPE stops any hazardous materials from coming into contact with workers, through skin, eyes, nose, mouth, or any other exposure. Exact PPE does vary depending on the particular work, however, it should always consist of properly designated waterproof coveralls, nitrile gloves which are also cut resistant, full-face guard, and a respirator.

Reputable and trustworthy remediation firms train their employees to work in the biohazard restoration industry. This training includes implementing OSHA’s directions for handling biohazardous materials. This training protects all parties involved: technicians, bystanders, and future occupants. Furthermore, the risk of accidents and potential lawsuits is limited greatly.

PuroClean Biohazard Cleanup Procedures

• First, the restoration crew identifies the affected areas, completes a health and safety evaluation, and determines the magnitude of the biohazard cleanup. Once a plan is in place, remediation work begins as quickly as possible.
• Biohazard specialists then take precautions to maintain their safety and the safety of others near the cleanup site.
• All potentially infectious materials are eradicated from the site and properly disposed of.
• Hazardous medical waste, like spinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, and other bodily waste, is handled following OSHA regulations and given to a licensed hazardous medical waste incinerator.
• Porous materials like fabric and carpeting that can’t be sufficiently cleaned are removed following industry standards and state regulations.
• Non-porous materials are either cleaned using hospital-grade disinfectants if they are salvageable, or taken away and disposed of if non-restorable.
• After cleaning is finished, technicians deodorize the affected areas, and will ensure all of the cleaned areas are returned to their previous state in appearance and cleanliness. One way to guarantee that the areas have been cleaned and ready for occupants is to have clearance tests performed by a licensed Industrial Hygienist.
• Removal of uncleanable contaminated materials, cleaning, and use of hospital-grade disinfectants are often enough to control odors, and in some tougher situations, other methods of deodorization are used to accomplish the desired goal.

Providing Biohazard Cleanup Services with Empathy

The huge sense of loss felt from property damage is not lost on PuroClean technicians. Our restoration specialists and owners make special efforts to be extremely sensitive to those who have experienced property damage and may be emotionally vulnerable. This special type of cleanup calls for added care and sympathy. Our technicians truly empathize with the individuals that are unfortunately experiencing loss from this unthinkable situation.

The PuroClean RapidDefense™ Program

The PuroClean RapidDefense™ Program by Puroclean is the most favorable cleaning process. The PuroClean RapidDefense™ Program uses the application of EPA approved hospital-grade cleaning products in all public areas. This process aids in blocking the spread of illnesses of pathogen-based origin, like Norovirus, Influenza and also the Novel coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19). The program’s process calls for the use of Environmental Protection Agency-registered products that are safe and provide protection against pathogens that will work up to three months. To help you maintain a clean environment, reach out to PuroClean before an outbreak affects you.

For Biohazard Cleaning Services, Call PuroClean!

Contact your local PuroClean when you require biohazard restoration professionals. PuroClean technicians will clean and restore your contaminated areas. State-of-the-art equipment, tools and procedures will be used by our specialists to effectively treat your damage.

PuroClean’s commitment to quality, compassion and timeliness of delivery throughout the complete project propels us above all other cleaning companies, and makes us the clean choice in the industry. PuroClean vows to put in the time to rescue, clean and restore properties 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 the use of hospital grade disinfectants of frequently touched objects and surfaces are the required actions to aid in stopping the spread of respiratory diseases, like coronavirus. Since any surface can be re-contaminated after cleaning, and because the coronavirus is also spread person-to-person, PuroClean’s cleaning services are not guaranteed to thwart 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.