Biological hazard remediation is the collection, cleaning, and disinfection of blood, body fluids, and other potentially harmful pathogens in affected areas after a death, accident, or communicable disease outbreak. The job of a biohazard cleaner is to completely clean, disinfect and deodorize the site where a violent crime, suicide, or traumatic accident occurred. Cleaning up biological hazards can be a difficult job that requires technicians to handle potentially hazardous materials, such as blood and body fluids, and proper handling of the crime scene or trauma is crucial for the safety of all involved. When it comes to remedying biological hazards, there is no quick fix.
The fact that there are no laws that protect policyholders through a biohazard clean-up process imposes on the insurance company the responsibility of working with bioremediation specialists who follow strict safety standards and cleaning procedures. If the insurance company directs the cleaning process and even one of the above points is neglected, it could be held responsible for any other damage to health and property that results from improper cleaning. It's important to remember that you can't put a price on the peace of mind a policyholder needs after a traumatic crime or death has occurred in their home or workplace. Crime scene cleaning is a term that applies to the cleaning of blood, bodily fluids, and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).
It is also known as biological hazard remediation and forensic cleaning, because crime scenes are only part of the situations in which cleaning for biological hazards is necessary. Incidents that may require this type of cleaning include accidents, suicide (or attempted suicide), homicides and decomposition after an unattended death, as well as mass injuries, industrial accidents, contamination by infectious diseases, contamination by biological hazards for animals (p. ex. Faeces (or blood) or regulated waste (transport, treatment and disposal).
Training and experience are required to safely clean and disinfect an area that has been exposed to biological hazards. The good news is that cleaning up biological waste can be incredibly rewarding, as you take some of the burden off the family and offer them compassion and respect when they need it most. Attempting to eliminate a biological hazard yourself can put you at risk of exposure to hazardous substances and cause further pollution. Compared to a fire or a loss of water, property damage caused by suicide, murder, or unattended death represents greater risk and complexity for the appraiser, the biohazard cleaning company and, of course, the policyholder.
This team was quickly deployed in the face of a biohazard situation, provided excellent advice and suggestions, performed its work with integrity and was critical in helping us with the insurance claim. With dozens of offices across the country, Aftermath is always looking to hire good people as biohazard cleaners. Biohazard cleanup can be a stressful and demanding profession that requires working long hours and dealing with a wide range of tragic circumstances. Professional biohazard cleaners use a variety of specialized equipment and techniques to safely remove and dispose of biohazardous materials.
While the field of crime scene cleanup is not specifically regulated as a class, most, if not all, of the activities carried out by biological hazard cleanup teams in the United States are regulated or governed by the best practice guidelines of governmental and advisory bodies such as OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration), NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health), DOT (Department of Transportation) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). If you are faced with a biohazardous cleaning situation, it's essential to leave the cleaning to professionals such as PuroClean Restoration Services. Many biohazard situations pose serious health risks for policyholders and cleaning companies due to possible exposure to blood-borne pathogens. According to The Houston Chronicle “it is highly recommended to learn OSHA safety methods at work when handling biohazardous waste and working in hazardous areas as it reduces the risk of accidents and possible lawsuits and can reduce a company's insurance costs”.
To determine whether or not a company is qualified to manage a biohazard situation insurance professionals need to better understand the appropriate bioremediation standards and what is needed to fully decontaminate a property. Biological hazard cleaning is the process of removing and disposing of materials contaminated with blood body fluids or other potentially infectious materials.
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