Crime Scene Cleanup, also known as biohazard remediation, involves cleaning and sanitizing areas affected by blood, bodily fluids, and other infectious materials following a traumatic event.
Trained specialists from Bio-Tec Emergency Services, LLC, perform this service after law enforcement has released the scene to ensure safety and restore the property to a habitable condition.
The cleanup process A professional Crime Scene Cleanup is a multi-step process that requires specific training, equipment, and discretion.
- Assessment and containment: A team first assesses the scene to identify all biological hazards and potential risks. They then isolate the affected area with barriers to prevent cross-contamination.
- Removal and disposal of biohazards: Using specialized equipment and following strict safety protocols, technicians remove biohazardous materials, such as blood, bodily fluids, and tissues. Contaminated items like carpeting and furniture that cannot be salvaged are removed for proper disposal.
- Cleaning and disinfection: After removing contaminated materials, the crew cleans and disinfects all surfaces with hospital-grade disinfectants. This includes walls, floors, ceilings, and even difficult-to-reach areas like subflooring or ventilation systems.
- Deodorization: Lingering odors from biological decomposition are eliminated using professional equipment like ozone generators or hydroxyl machines, which break down odor molecules.
- Restoration: The process concludes with final restoration, which may include making repairs, repainting, or replacing flooring and other materials.
Situations requiring this service While the term "Crime Scene Cleanup" is widely used, it covers many scenarios that are not necessarily criminal.
- Homicides and suicides: The most common association, involving the cleanup of blood and bodily fluids.
- Unattended death: Cleaning up after a body has gone undiscovered for a period of time, leading to decomposition.
- Accidents: Cleaning up biohazards resulting from industrial or other accidents.
- Drug lab cleanup: Removing chemical and biological residue from illegal drug manufacturing, such as meth labs.
- Biohazard contamination: Mitigating and cleaning sites contaminated by infectious diseases.
Why hire professionals? Attempting to clean a trauma scene without professional training and equipment is unsafe and can be emotionally and physically damaging.
- Health and safety: Bodily fluids can contain dangerous bloodborne pathogens like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. Cleanup crews wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and use EPA-approved disinfectants to prevent exposure.
- Regulations and compliance: The disposal of biohazardous waste is heavily regulated by federal (OSHA), state, and local laws. Professionals are licensed to transport and dispose of these materials at approved facilities.
- Complete decontamination: Biohazards can seep into porous materials and spread pathogens and foul odors. Professionals are trained to find and properly remediate all contaminated areas.
- Compassion and discretion: Trained cleaners handle sensitive situations with empathy and confidentiality, allowing family members and property owners to focus on recovering from the event.
- Insurance coverage: The cost of cleanup, which can range from $1,000 to $25,000 or more, is often covered by homeowner's, business, or auto insurance policies.