Biohazard Cleanup Services in Stuart and the Treasure Coast

Biohazard restoration involves cleaning, application of EPA approved hospital grade disinfectants, and deodorizing locations where a traumatic event like an accident, injury, or death has occurred. Thus, working with biohazards often means working with blood, human or animal remains, chemical spills, and more.

Included Within The Biohazard Cleanup Services

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

After police and investigators have gathered all the evidence from a crime scene, they are no longer responsible for any of the actual cleaning of the scene. When police release the crime scene area, the responsibility is with the owner of the premises to employ biohazard cleaning services. The biohazard cleaning crew can only begin their work after authorities have actually released the scene.

BOPIM Standard

The (BOPIM) standard stands for “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 employees from risks due to blood or other potentially infectious materials (BOPIM).

Approximately 5.6 million workers in healthcare and related jobs are helped by this standard. The biohazard restoration and cleaning field is also covered under the BOPIM standard.

Also, the BOPIM standard has several requirements, including:

• 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 specialists face significant risk 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 methods are important for both the technicians employed on the project as well as the persons who will be occupying the area once the biohazard restoration is complete.

Bio-Forensic Restoration: Microbial Warrior

Commonly known as “crime and trauma scene cleaning,” forensic restoration is defined as the comprehensive cleaning and remediation of buildings and structures contaminated or suspected to be contaminated from biological materials. Site and risk assessments need to be completed that starts with the initial contact, acquiring critical incident data: the who, what, when, where and how, which begins to lay the foundation of knowledge that helps forensic operators to prepare physically, mentally, and even spiritually to perform at a top tier level. From our incident site/risk assessment, we determine the scope of work.

We at PuroClean of Stuart have been certified as Bio-Forensic Restoration Specialist® which includes:

• Pandemic and infectious disease outbreaks
• Biorisk management
• Biosafety and biosecurity
• Crime and trauma scenes
• Hoarding conditions and unsanitary dwellings
• Unattended deaths
• Bioterrorism and the deliberate release of bacteria, viruses, insects, fungi, or toxins that can kill or disable people, animals, and food supplies
• Mass casualty incidents, including active shooter situations, terrorist acts, explosions, natural disasters, vehicle accidents, and mass transit mishaps (planes, trains, ships, buses).

Biohazard Cleanup Certification Requirements

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

PPE protects the safety of workers and happens to be the last line of defense. This equipment protects the skin, eyes, mouth, nose and other body parts from coming into contact to hazardous material. The extent of PPE used on each project may differ on different projects. However, PPE should always consist of full face protection, cut resistant and nitrile gloves, properly assigned waterproof coveralls as well as a respirator.

Reputable and trustworthy remediation companies train their workers to work in the biohazard restoration industry. This training includes teaching OSHA’s guidelines for handling biohazardous waste. This training protects all parties involved: technicians, bystanders, and future tenants. Furthermore, the risk of accidents and potential lawsuits is limited greatly.

Our 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 inspection, and identify the magnitude of the biohazard cleanup. When the technicians have a plan in place, restoration will start immediately
• All technicians will take precautions to ensure their safety and that of anyone close to the biohazard affected locations.
• The crew will then remove and dispose of all possibly infectious materials from your property.
• OSHA regulations dictate exactly how hazardous medical waste should be handled. As an example: spinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, and any other bodily fluids are carefully handled and moved to a licensed hazardous medical waste incinerator.
• According to state regulations and industry guidelines, technicians are required to eradicate porous materials like fabric and carpeting that cannot be properly cleaned.
• Non-porous items that are salvageable will be cleansed with hospital grade cleaning products. If these items are non-restorable, our technicians will remove and dispose of the items.
• Following the cleaning process, technicians deodorize all affected areas and return these areas 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 perform clearance testing.
• Odors can usually be controlled by the eradication of unsalvageable affected materials and by washing items with hospital-grade cleaning products. However, tough situations may call for additional procedures of deodorization to accomplish success.

Providing Biohazard Cleanup Services with Empathy

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

The RapidDefense™ Program by PuroClean

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 stop the spread of pathogen-based illnesses, such as Influenza, Norovirus, and the 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This procedure uses Environmental Protection Agency-registered, safe products to provide up to three months of protection against pathogens. Contact us prior to an outbreak occurs to help you in creating a clean environment.

For Biohazard Cleaning Services, Call PuroClean!

If your property is in need of biohazard cleanup and remediation, contact PuroClean and our team of professionals to thoroughly clean and restore your contaminated areas. PuroClean technicians will sufficiently restore your contamination and damage using state-of-the-art methods and equipment.

The expert level of our restoration services, the quickness in which we deliver these services, and the compassion of our team throughout this difficult time, helps to make us your go-to biohazard damage restoration company. We vow to do whatever it takes to help and rescue properties in all of the towns, cities, and communities we serve.

*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 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.