Biohazards get their name because they are dangerous. If you are considering DIY biohazard cleanup, you need to make sure that you are prepared to handle them safely. Here are some of the essential steps to ensuring the safe cleanup and disposal of biohazardous materials.
Get Educated
Knowledge is the most essential tool for ensuring safe and effective disposal of biohazardous materials. Only people with proper training should attempt the cleanup of dangerous materials.
Training in biohazard cleanup should include:
- Identification of biohazardous materials
- Agencies to contact about specific biohazards
- Proper safety equipment required for specific biohazards
- Cleaning standards for biohazards
- Disposal standards for biohazards
Identification is a key step in dealing with biohazards. If you don’t know what you’re dealing with, you should not mess with biohazardous materials. Before you start any cleanup procedure, think through the entire process, from initial cleaning to final disposal, and if there are any steps you either don’t know or aren’t sure of, then don’t attempt cleanup. Instead, seek out specialty cleaning services with certified biohazard cleanup technicians to handle the problem.
Contact Relevant Authorities
Depending on the type of biohazard you are dealing with, you should contact relevant authorities:
- If you come across the scene of an unattended death or violent crime, you should contact police and/or health authorities.
- If you have a backed-up sewer, inform your local wastewater system. This may help them identify or understand problems that affect the city’s system.
- If you come across a freshly dead wild animal on your property, report it to animal control – it may be important.
Other biohazards may have specific reporting requirements. If you don’t know what they are, don’t handle the waste.
Use Appropriate Safety Equipment
Once authorities clear you to remove biohazards – in some cases, professional disposal may be required – you need to make sure you have the appropriate safety equipment.
What personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for dealing with your particular biohazard? That depends on what it is. Some recommended safety equipment includes:
- Gloves (sometimes two pairs)
- Goggles and/or facemasks
- Air filtering masks or respirators
- Caps or hoods
- Coveralls
- Shoe and boot covers
In general, these should be impermeable, but different hazards require different PPE. The procedures for handling disposal of PPE also depend on the type of hazard you will be dealing with.
Clean the Biohazard to Appropriate Standards
When dealing with biohazards, it’s important to clean them according to the recognized standards. For some biohazards, this may mean simple soap-and-water cleanup is sufficient. Others may require surface cleaning with recommended disinfectants.
In some cases, surface cleaning is not sufficient. Deep cleaning methods may be effective for some materials, but when dealing with the most dangerous biohazards, proper cleanup might require tearing out exposed surfaces, such as drywall, carpeting, or even tile grout.
Failure to clean to appropriate standards may result in ongoing risk to people using the affected space. It may also result in legal liability for the person responsible for the property and/or cleanup. The consequences could be fines, prison time, and/or civil lawsuits.
Appropriately Dispose of Biohazards
Once the biohazardous material has been cleaned up, it should be properly disposed of to avoid creating health risks to humans and animals in the area. Again, it’s important to know what level of biohazard you’re dealing with, and how this material can be safely disposed of.
For the lowest level of hazards, you might be able to bag them sturdily and put them in your trash. However, in many cases special disposal is required. Failure to properly dispose of biohazards could increase the risk for you, garbage collectors, and the community. In addition, improper disposal can lead to similar legal consequences listed above.
Benefits of Working with a Professional Biohazard Cleanup Firm
The safest way to handle biohazards you encounter on your property is to get specialty cleaning services from experts who have extensive training and experience to handle them. You’ll also enjoy the benefits of turning cleanup over to a professional, including:
Safety – When you let JRCC Damage Restoration Experts handle your biohazard cleanup, you don’t have to worry about your safety. We will handle all the risk, and we know how to do it safely. This will keep you and your family safe.
Cleanup to Standards – At JRCC Damage Restoration Experts, we know how to clean any biohazard to the appropriate standards. We know when surface cleaning is sufficient, when deep cleaning is necessary, and when we’re required to remove exposed materials.
We also have the ability to remove all odors from the area so you can live in the house connected to the hazard without worrying that you’ll have to deal with the smell forever.
Legal Protection – The consequences of improperly handling biohazards can include hefty fines, criminal charges, and legal liability. The legal consequences can be especially severe if the biohazard cleanup is in your business where employees and customers may be exposed, or in a rental property where tenants might be exposed.
Don’t risk hefty fines, prison time, or crippling lawsuits. Instead, let cleanup experts handle the problem so you are protected from these consequences.
Peace of Mind – When you hire a professional biohazard cleanup firm, you won’t have to worry about problems like what risks you’re exposing yourself to, whether you’ve cleaned the hazard to proper standards, and if you’re going to face fines, charges, or lawsuits. You can simply trust that it’s been taken care of properly.
Choose JRCC Damage Restoration Experts for Biohazard Cleanup in the greater Seattle & Spokane Metro Area
At JRCC Damage Restoration Experts, we’ve been the leading disaster restoration and specialty cleaning company in the greater Seattle & Spokane Metro Area since 1954. We know how to handle your biohazard cleanup problem properly and will restore safe conditions at your property.
We offer 24/7 emergency services, so we can start working on your biohazard cleanup immediately. We use the latest tools and techniques to ensure your cleanup isn’t just done right, it’s done as quickly as possible.
To get us started on your biohazard cleanup, please contact us today. JRCC Damage Restoration Experts serves customers in the greater Seattle & Spokane Metro Area.