Biohazard clean up

11/11/2021 (Permalink)

We get an occasional biohazard call: homicide, suicide, unexpected death, animal infestations or medical accident. Biohazards must be handled correctly and professionally. Bloodborne pathogens can be dangerous, and we handle these situations with the most discrete and delicate of manner. We have special certifications and training for these unfortunate events. Statistics show that 1 out of 24 people have Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV. Depending on the environment our biohazard is in, these diseases can survive up to 16 days in the affected person. It’s not something we enjoy doing but we are proficient and courteous to our customers during this difficult time. Our protocol for this is the following:

Call: we get your call and send a certified technician to the site within one hour depending on your location. Our technicians are professionally trained and are also empathetic to the type of situation we could be working with.

Evaluation: our tech(s) evaluate the extent of this damage. Our techs wear special bio uniforms and respirators. This is to protect them from any kind of disease that could spread while cleaning. As mentioned above these diseases can survive up to 16 days in certain biohazard environments. Exposure can happen with any kind of open skin, scrape or wound, sharp fragments that may puncture while cleaning, inhalation, or potential splatter resulting in exposure through the nose, eyes or mouth.

Restoration: restoration to floors are much like a water damage. Carpet is pulled away and the sub floor is treated and sealed. Carpet padding is replaced and the carpet itself is cleaned on the underside and top. Any kind of dry wall exposure is cleaned and sealed. Depending on the situation some drywall may need to be replaced all together. Each damage is unique and requires special care and evaluation.

To perform biohazard cleanups its highly recommended that the professional you have cleaning is OSHA certified. What is OSHA?

O- Occupational

S- Safety

H- Hazard

A- Association

Rest assured that our techs are OSHA (Occupational Safety and Hazard Association) certified and trained. Anyone who is not OSHA certified, is fined heavily. When looking for a company it’s important to know if they are certified and aware of the OSHA requirements. We take all the extra steps needed to qualify for this certification.

As mentioned above, not all biohazards are human related. Animal infestations are more common than you would think. Rats, squirrels, otters, birds, etc. Pests are not hygienically clean, they carry many diseases. Rats alone can directly transmit the following: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, Lassa Fever, Leptospirosis, Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM), Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever, Plague, Rat-Bite Fever, Salmonellosis, South American Arenaviruses (Argentine hemorrhagic fever, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, Sabia-associated hemorrhagic fever, Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever), and Tularemia. That is just rats alone, not including the other above-mentioned animals.

If in doubt, let a professional check it out. Our professionally trained and certified techs take care of it all for you. Let us save you the headache and stress. Here at SERVPRO of Gig Harbor/N. Tacoma we are happy to help and make your biohazard “Like it never even happened.”

Call us today @ (253)851-6711