Why are costs for biohazard cleanup so high?

If someone dies as a result of natural causes, violent crime, murder or suicide in a residence or place of business, the burden of clean up typically falls on the property owner. Obviously this is a traumatic task that few people are willing to undertake themselves. But why are the costs for cleanup of these scenes so expensive?

Biohazard cleanup companies like Bio Clean Services guarantee the scene will be restored to it’s original pre-incident state after the victim has been removed from the scene.  There are several factors that determine the amount of time and services that our clients need. These factors are usually:

• How long was the death unattended

• Where it happened

• What type of scene it is (How it happened)

• What elements are in the scene where it occurred

If the body was in a decomposing state when removed, the cleanup is even more challenging because insects move into the body after death and may still be in the scene area after the body is removed by a coroner.  It’s customary to also have body fluids, liquefied skin and organ tissues that have soaked into carpeting, flooring or other surfaces in contact with the scene. The most difficult task is generally remediation of the smell from the scene as the body will release ammonia gases that permeate these areas and can linger for months.

Our technicians are required to wear protective suits and respirators and utilize OSHA and EPA compliant chemicals to decontaminate these areas. Special equipment is used and all waste materials must be properly placed in safety sealed bags and disposed of. This usually requires obtaining permits from local officials with specific directives on how the waste is to be transported and disposed.  Sometimes, medical-waste incinerators need to be used for this type of disposal.

Once the initial cleaning has been performed, it is necessary for Bio Clean Services to inspect every detail of these scenes utilizing special instruments and equipment to search for even the smallest trace elements of contamination (not seen with the visible eye). This inspection helps determine if the scene will need our construction crews to remove flooring, walls, insulation or other structural materials in effort to ensure proper cleaning for the safety of our clients.

As you can see from just a few short paragraphs, biohazard cleaning and decontamination of these types of scenes is more than a simple wash down with bleach. Obtaining permits, disposal charges, and construction costs are common factors that dictate what cleanup charges will be.

Depending on the circumstances, property owners may have coverage options through property insurance policies. In this regard, most companies will provide a service that handles all the paperwork for filing a claim. If insurance coverage is not available, they can also help their clients in contacting various charitable or religious organizations that can provide financial assistance.

Questions about biohazard cleaning

The most important thing in handling the crime scene clean up is that affected things should be cleaned in a way by which life will be danger free in future. It is imperative that one employs the help of the experienced bio hazard technicians who are certified and well trained to remove the fluid materials of body and blood or other biohazard materials.  Often there are various items such as walls, carpet, furniture, wallpaper, flooring, etc that will need to be disposed of in the red bio-hazard bags.  Disposal can usually be taken to a state-regulated and federal- regulated site. Laws do not permit the use of dumpster to dispose the items. According to the laws of federal and state, a bio-hazard clean up will need to store the records of the place where disposal is taken place and include what was disposed. It is suggested that these records be stored for 30 years. It’s also important that permits and certification information be retained for the same amount of time should they ever need to be reviewed.

Why is trauma and crime scene clean up so dangerous? The cleanup process of a scene may be easy and simple. But, clean up technicians have to be trained in how to handle materials to avoid contact with deadly diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases that can be occurred by affection of bio-hazards. Frequently sharp items that can puncture your skin are found to be present during clean up. It’s also possible that a cleaner’s mouth and eyes can be affected accidentally during the removal of biohazard items.

Why should someone call a biohazard clean up company?  When it comes to cleaning and removal from a biohazard trauma scene, family members, friends or people associated want to clean the scene themselves.  Seldom do they realize that the tasks are physically and emotionally overwhelming. Bio Clean Services is trained in the removal of biohazard items such as body fluids, decomposing bodies, human tissues, hypodermic needles, blood, etc.  Our technicians are fully trained and certified in the removal of these materials and have been specifically trained to restore a scene to a better than original condition. Utilizing a trained professional company like Bio Clean Services enables you to avoid the emotional distress of the work. Anyone attempting to clean a biohazard scene may also run the risk of certain liabilities should someone cleaning become exposed to harmful items and substances.

Who pays for biohazard and crime scene clean up? Depending on the circumstances and where the incident occurs, ordinarily the insurance company pays for the clean up. Every insurance carrier is different and certain restrictions may apply.  Anyone having to hire a professional clean up company should contact the insurance company to review these limitations; if any.

Death Decomposition Cleanup Service

Bio Clean Services provides biohazard cleanup of decomposing death scenes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia.  When someone dies, the body goes through many rapid changes and the decomposition process starts almost immediately.

When a person’s heart stops beating the cells and tissues stop receiving oxygen. Brain cells are the first to die, usually within seven minutes after the heart stops (bone and skin cells can survive for several days). Blood begins to drain and pool in lower-lying portions of the body. This pooling causes blood leakage that requires professional death scene cleanup. As a body’s cells die, bacteria begins to break them down causing the appearance of the body to change dramatically and smell.  Decomposing death cleanup requires biohazard remediation practices that should only be performed by professionally trained company.

Once the body is well into the decomposition process, insects are usually present. These insects not only feed on the decomposing body but are able to multiply in mass quantity. This is especially dangerous because these insects can carry contaminated biohazards to other areas and potentially other people.  If you are unfamiliar with cleanup practices for a death scene you are putting yourself and others at risk for possible contamination. If skin and bone cells can live for several days after death, that means the bacterial and other potentially dangerous pathogens can live even longer.

Because of the location, it’s very common to receive calls for decomposition cleanup services all throughout our service areas.  Many of the rural areas experience increased numbers of people dying at home who many not be found for some time after they’ve died.  Discovering someone’s death is traumatic enough, but an untrained individual attempting to deal with the cleanup of a decomposing body is most often more than they can emotionally handle.

If you find yourself being responsible for the cleanup of a friend or loved one, contact the professionals at Bio Clean Services. We provide 24 hour emergency dispatch for death and decomposition cleanup service. Our technicians are professional and compassionate and have experience in dealing with the emotional aftermath experienced by our clients.

Murder – Suicide Cleanup Services

Throughout the past decade the amount of murder-suicide scenes has increased all around the world. With drugs, crime, mental illness and other factors contributing to these types or traumatic events, it’s a good idea to be informed about what to do should you be the one experiencing this.

Bio Clean Services performs blood and biohazard cleanup services in crime, death, murder and suicide scenes. These types of biohazard scenes require special training to effectively remediate the biohazards from  the scene and return it to a safe, habitable environment. When a murder-suicide occurs, the victims family members, friends and even property owners are emotionally overwhelmed by the appearance of these scenes. Most of these cases involve guns which can cause a death scene to encompass large areas with blood and other potentially dangerous biohazards.

Our technicians are experienced in proper cleanup, removal and disposal protocol. Our main objective is to discreetly clean up and restore these scenes to a pre-incident condition. We are accustomed to dealing with the emotional state of the victims family and friends and are compassionate with  our clients to help make this process as easy as possible for them.

Bio Clean Services can handle all facets of the biohazard cleanup and remediation tasks and we are familiar with insurance billing and other resources and organizations who can assist property owners in covering the costs of our services.  In most cases, the health conditions and types of potential biohazards found at these scenes are unknown, therefore we always suggest that untrained persons never attempt to clean a death scene.

In the event that an untrained person improperly cleans a death, blood or biohazard scene, they may become liable for any health compromises that happen to others who may come into contact with an area that still contains biohazards.

If you, or someone you know experiences this type of traumatic event, call Bio Clean Services immediately. We offer 24 hour emergency services to assist you with biohazard cleanup and work diligently to protect our clients from harmful elements found in biohazard scenes.

Can odor from death be removed completely?

Bio Clean Services provides clean up services after death, crimes and suicide. One of the very first questions we’re always asked is, “Can you get rid of this odor completely?”  The answer is yes however, several factors will determine the amount of time and work necessary to remediate these odors and return the scene to a clean, sanitary environment.

What we’ll need to know:

1.  Where did the death occur, and what elements are directly connected to the death scene?  For instance, did the person die in a bed, on a carpeted floor, in a bathtub or a car?  Death clean up requires decontamination of furniture, flooring, fabrics and virtually any porous surfaces related to the scene.  In certain cases, it may also be necessary to remove and replace walls, ceilings, sub-flooring and possibly insulation. Weather conditions also may affect the scene depending on temperatures and other factors.

2.  How long has it been since the death occurred? If the death was an accident, suicide or an elderly person and not discovered immediately, the cleanup process is more entailed as most likely decomposition has started. We would need to follow specific cleaning processes using chemicals, antimicrobial cleaners and ozone or neutralizing agents. Ozone is commonly used in death cleanup because of its quick reaction to carbon based molecules associated with death odors. It’s a highly useful tool but not a guarantee that it will completely get rid of the odor.

Bio Clean Services takes every measure possibly to safely and effectively remediate these scenes with as minimal disruption as possible. Our cleanup technicians are trained to provide our clients with the emotional support needed during these types of tasks. The unattended death of a friend or loved one is never something that anyone is prepared to handle. The emotions and questions that are brought on by this tragic event can make it difficult to determine what to do next.

Our goal is to offer clients the assurance that our work will completely restore the scene to a pre-incident condition and we are dedicated to the protection and safety of our clients. Hiring the proper cleanup company is difficult, after we analyze the scene, we provide a full plan of action and work directly with our clients through each step of the process.  Contact us today for more information about the services we offer.

Police Shootings and Gun Violence

Over the past couple of years we’ve all experienced the increase of Gun Violence and Police shootings across the nation. Every incident involving a shooting requires professional biohazard cleanup. Bio Clean Services provides blood and biohazard cleanup from shootings, automobile accidents, police transport vehicles and even jail cells.

Blood, when outside of the human body can still continue to carry infectious diseases or pathogens that can cause illness for long periods of time. Dried blood can become airborne and even in its dry form, if ingested during cleanup can be harmful or even fatal to someone.  Proper cleanup protocol for blood and biohazards must be followed. If you experience a crime or tragedy involving gun shootings and blood you should never attempt to clean up the aftermath.

Bio Clean Services is certified and maintains all of the proper permits for the cleanup, removal and disposal of biohazard materials.  These materials can range from parts of automobiles that contain blood, wood, furniture and other structural materials that contain biohazards and even dirt, soil or concrete from blood spills in outside environments.

When blood cleanup is required, our technicians treat the handling of all materials as if they have been contaminated with infectious diseases. This helps protect everyone involved in the cleanup and removal process and also assures the property owner that the site has been restored to a safe environment free from all biohazards. 

State and local governments have specific protocols that must be followed when performing these types of cleanup jobs and if you are untrained and attempt cleanup on your own, you may be liable for improper handling and disposal. The ramifications of improper cleanup and disposal are much worse if the biohazard area were to cause health compromises or even death to someone else as a result.

Hire Bio Clean Services so that you can be certain a certified company will work with you to eliminate this type of liability.

Seasonal Depression & Unattended Death

This time each year we begin to experience an increase in calls for unattended death cleanup. With the change of seasons and temperatures growing colder, the amount of outdoor activities becomes limited to those who are senior or with disabilities. During this time, people tend to stay in doors more and families limit the amount of time visiting older friends and family members.

This can cause serious depression issues and increase health related deaths at home for the older population. Bio Clean Services performs death clean up services for families who experience a loved one dying at home. Sometimes, not being found for days or even weeks during the colder winter months.  Winter seasons also bring about an array of health complications for our older population and many deaths are related to sickness or depression as a result of becoming shut in during the cold months.

Our team of technicians are trained in the cleanup, removal and disposal of biohazard elements that result from an undiscovered death when someone dies at home. Family members are often grief stricken and have overwhelming guilt due to the fact that they do not check on older friends and family members during this time.  When someone dies at home and their death is undiscovered for a certain period of time, there are huge risks associated with the biohazard cleanup of the death scene.

Family members and property owners should not attempt to clean up this type of environment as it causes potential health risks to themselves and others. Blood and bodily fluids that require cleanup can contain harmful pathogens that remain alive outside of the human body for long periods of time. Dried blood, if not properly cleaned can become airborne and continue to potentially compromise someone’s health for weeks to even months after a death occurs. Bio Clean Services works to completely remove all traces of biohazards from your property.

If you or someone you know experiences discovering a death of someone at their home, call out emergency dispatch immediately for assistance. We are certified and licensed to handle all facets of biohazards associated with death, blood and trauma scene cleanup.

How do you know if a Biohazard Cleanup Company is the right one for you?

In today’s society the amount of crimes, death and trauma are at an all time high.  Over the past several decades, the risk for potentially harmful diseases spread through blood, bodily fluids and other biohazard materials makes biohazard cleanup a dangerous task. Bio Clean Services performs certified biohazard remediation of all types of scenes.

How do you know if a Biohazard cleanup company is what you need? Any time there is a presence of blood, bodily fluids or matter from the human body present at a death, crime or trauma scene, you need to handle the cleanup of the affected area as if there are dangerous hidden pathogens that can cause death or harm to you.  In most cases that involve blood or other biohazards we do not know that current health conditions of the victims or deceased. Because of the increase in health compromises with HIV, Hepatitis C and other diseases, you should always hire a professional biohazard cleanup company like Bio Clean Services.

The company you hire should be certified and licensed to cleanup and handle biohazard remediation and disposal.  A reputable company will be able to provide proof of certifications, and the proper permits that adhere to the protocol for proper cleanup that have been set by your State or Federal government.  Beware of non-local companies who claim that they are certified in your area. It’s best to look for a company located within your state, that is licensed and insured and one that has no negative reputation for past jobs performed.

Police, emergency personnel and other agencies will sometimes make a referral to companies that have worked with them in the past for biohazard cleanup and management. Bio Clean Services services are police endorsed and we have an excellent history of satisfied clients and commercial businesses.

We offer 24 hour emergency dispatch for death, suicide, trauma and crime scene cleanup that involves blood and other biohazard materials that are potentially harmful to you. Our main objective is to completely remove any biohazards as soon as possible to help protect our clients and their properties.

If you experience an event that requires biohazard cleanup contact us immediately. We will work with you through every step of the process to ensure that your property is safe and biohazard free.

Blood Cleanup in the Workplace

While most people would agree, workplaces today are safer than they used to be in the United States however accidents can and do happen. Bio Clean Services provides blood and biohazard cleanup in the workplace from accidents, death, suicide and other traumatic events. Some larger facilities have custodial staff that are directed to clean up these biohazards, but just how safe is it?

Every State has certain criteria when it comes to the cleanup, disposal and transport of biohazard materials. With the majority of custodial staff members not being trained or certified in biohazard management, it’s likely that you are at risk for compromising the health and safety of other workers in and around accident or trauma scenes.

Bio Clean Services maintains all of the necessary certifications and permits to clean and remediate biohazards from accident scenes.  We are trained in OSHA standards of biohazard cleaning and work to ensure that your facility or property is completely free from all biohazards when our job is complete.

If you operate a business that has a higher risk for workplace accidents, it is a good idea to have a contact established with a company like Bio Clean Services who can be immediately dispatched when an accident occurs.  We are experienced in working within restricted and classified areas, high security areas like prisons and government agencies and are trained in all of the necessary skill sets required to help you protect your employees and clients from biohazard compromises.

If you would like more information on how our company can be an immediate responder for your workplace or industrial accidents, contact us and we will provide you with complete information and procedures that you’ll need to follow with us when an accident occurs. Don’t wait until an accident occurs and become liable for the safety of others. Call us first!

TV news reporter, cameraman are fatally shot during live broadcast

This is a headline that no one should ever have to see, especially the victim’s family members.  This headline has made national news recently and is exactly what happened to TV Reporter Alison Parker and her cameraman Adam Ward form WDBJ7 in Roanoke, Virginia.

Bio Clean Services provides cleanup of biohazards from scenes such violent gun crimes, murders, suicides and other traumatic events. During the course of the investigation, it has been suggested that the victim’s attacker suffered from some form of mental illness. Although the exact reason why this tragedy occurred is not known, we can confirm that may homicide, violent death or suicide cleanup jobs we perform have some link to a mental illness, the medications associated with mental illness or both.

Because of increasing cases of guns associated with violent crimes, many Americans have stepped forward to change the way our country handles laws concerning the purchase and ownership of firearms. Bio Clean Services has responded to hundreds of calls from distraught family members who are faced with the responsibility of cleaning these types of biohazard scenes.  Death from guns or any means have a high potential for the transmission of disease and other health compromises to untrained people who are involved in an active crime scene that requires cleanup.

It is never suggested that anyone without proper training and equipment attempt to clean a crime scene or death scene on their own. Trust a certified biohazard remediation company like Bio Clean Services to perform a safe, professional and proper cleanup.

Every State regulates the cleanup, removal and disposal of biohazard waste and enforce strict penalties to anyone involved in an improper cleanup. Biohazards from the human body can remain in a dangerous state for weeks to sometimes months after a traumatic event occurs.  If you are faced with the responsibility of re-mediating a trauma, crime, death or suicide scene contact our office immediately for assistance. We provide 24/7 emergency response to assist victims of crime and tragedy.

Dangers associated with Violent Crime Cleanup inside a structure

Any tissue or bodily fluid is classified as a biohazard per Federal regulations.  Whenever a violent crime occurs within a building, or when a body begins to decompose within its interior, the surrounding building materials become contaminated with a variety of toxic agents. For example, blood stains on the carpet typically soak through the carpet and seep into the flooring beneath.  Effective environmental cleaning not only removes the biohazard from the carpet, but also from its supporting under structure.   Bio Clean Services is experienced in following all biohazard remediation protocols. We are trained to completely remediate any biohazards associated with the cleanup and remediation of Crime Scenes.

Special equipment, such as protective gear, must be worn by out trained technicians in order to protect them from the hazardous materials they are handling. Diseases such as the Flu, including Type A and H1N1, HIV/AIDS, Type A and B Hepatitis, TB, Cholera, and Salmonella are all diseases that can be transmitted from bodily fluids.  These fluids escape into the environment any time a body decomposes, whether a person commits suicide, is murdered, or suffers some type of tragic, accidental death. 

Because of these dangers, Bio Clean Services suggests that untrained individuals never attempt to cleanup a crime scene that involves biohazards. If you attempt to clean a biohazard scene and it’s not done properly, you may be held liable for procedures that weren’t followed and any health compromises caused to others as a result. The unknown potential dangers alone are enough to not attempt to do this on your own.

If you find yourself faced with the responsibility of cleanup from death, trauma or a violent crime, trust the professionals at Bio Clean Services to perform these services. We maintain all proper training, permits and have the equipment necessary to completely restore a biohazard scene to a safe environment.  Contact us today for more information on how we can protect you.

Biohazard Cleanup from Suicide

Numerous factors attribute to the cause of suicides and a large majority would say that it can be attributed to the economic meltdown in our country over the past several years.  Bio Clean Services provides suicide cleanup services in four states in the northeastern US. The health and overall fitness of the baby boomer generation has deteriorated greatly and a large number of these statistics indicate that the victims were medically ill, taking depression medication, suffered general health insufficiency, on disability and overwhelmed with credit card and other types of debt.

General consensus is that the victim’s life now “Isn’t what they envisioned” it would be at this age. Most of these people were in young adulthood in the 1960’s and 1970’s and that was an era that people were much more in tune with others and people helped other people.  Today, it’s a dog eat dog world motivated by money and the quest to “achieve” and the children and long time friends of the baby boomers are no exception.

The increased suicide rates are ordinarily male, elderly and alone with health and financial issues.  Because of social isolation and the feeling of being alone and abandoned, these victims take their life as they don’t see an importance in “fighting the fight” to survive in the world any longer.

Bio Clean Services gets frequent calls to provide death clean up services for families of suicide victims.  Many of the scenes we’re called to clean are unattended death scenes where no one knew that the victim had been dead for days, and in certain cases weeks to months.  We are certified in these types of cleanup jobs in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia.

Contact our office today to learn more about the services that our company provides and our service areas. We perform biohazard clean up services in both commercial and residential settings with immediate technician dispatch 7 days per week.  Our main goal is to help victims of tragedies such as these return their properties to a safe, habitable condition so they can move forward without additional trauma from the scene cleanup.