Biohazard Cleaning
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Biohazard cleaning, also sometimes referred to as ‘hazmat cleaning’ (hazmat being a portmanteau of hazardous and materials), is a service that specializes in cleaning and restoring premises that have been affected by hazardous materials. This is a highly important service for any number of scenarios and can help to minimize property damage as well as the potential damage to the environment and local ecosystem. Here we will look at what biohazard cleaning means and at how you can make sure you’re ready to use these services if ever you should need them.
What Are Hazardous Materials?
A hazardous material is anything that is toxic either to the environment, animals or people. These tend to be gasses, solids, and liquids which can include everything from oils, to contaminated water to carbon monoxide.
Of course, biohazard cleaning services are particularly important for those companies that work regularly with hazardous materials. Oil companies, for instance, should have the number of a biohazard cleaning service on their speed dial.
But other companies and even residential properties can also benefit from biohazard cleaning.
Some common biohazard scenarios include:
Sewage Backups
Sewage backups are other cases of dark water intrusions result in the depositing of contaminated and odorous sewage water which can introduce harmful microorganisms potentially leading to illness. Water rates from category 1 to category 3 with category 3 being the most harmful. If this enters your premises then it’s important to have the area cleaned and sanitized as quickly as possible.
Bloodborne Pathogens
Bodily fluids, tissues and other pathogenic substances can often be left behind as the result of an accident, trauma or crime. While this isn’t nice to think about, it’s a crucial role that biohazard cleaning companies have to play. As such, biohazard cleaning and crime scene cleanup are often handled by the same teams and go hand in hand.
This then means that biohazard cleaning companies will often be called to respond to cases of suicide, homicide or severe accident. Their job is then to clean up blood which may potentially contain bacteria and pathogens and to prevent the accumulation of insects other effects that can be brought about by death or serious injury.
Oil Spills
For companies dealing with oil, an oil spill can be disastrous for the environment, can cost the company a huge amount of money and can also be very damaging for their PR. Oil spill clean-up is absolutely crucial to limit the damage that oil can otherwise cause to the local wildlife. If an oil spill should result in damage to one local animal population, this can then end up affecting their natural predators and prey – ultimately this can upset the ecosystem for decades following the event.
Methamphetamine Labs
Laboratories that produce illegal drugs such as methamphetamines will often not adhere to the same safety standards as medical companies and this can result in the release of harmful and volatile residues. Again, this makes biohazard cleaning an important aspect of crime scene cleanup and is another scenario where the police force and these specialists may work together in tandem.
Other situations that might call for biohazard cleaning include:
- Hoarding scenes
- Animal waste or remains
- Chemical spills
- Tear gas cleanup
- Dealing with explosives and gas
Hazmat materials are categorized as falling somewhere on a ‘diamond scale’ which describes the nature of a material and why it is dangerous. Red denotes flammable materials, orange suggests explosive, green is for a safe gas and yellow is for an oxidizing gas. This list can get a lot more complicated and may also describe the interactions between different materials. If you mix red (flammable) with yellow (gas) for instance, then you get orange (explosive).
How Biohazard Cleaning Works
When biohazard cleaning companies are called to the scene to deal with any type of hazardous material, one of their chief concerns will be to mitigate the potential risk that those materials pose them. During the handling, transport, storage and disposal, these specialists will normally wear protective equipment and use personal safety equipment (PSE). Strict monitoring is also necessary to ensure that those professionals to not exceed occupational exposure limits.
Biohazard cleaning companies will utilize a number of different tools and equipment when cleaning up spills and other threats. Protective hazmat suits are just one example of this. Other specialist tools and products include:
- Submersible pumps and truck-mounted pumps for removing large amounts of waste such as sewage and oil
- Body fluid disposal kits
- Vomit bags
- Waste bags
- Drums to act as hazmat containers
In some cases, it won’t be the material that has spilled itself that is hazardous but may be an indirect consequence. For instance, if some materials are heated this can then create dangerous fumes.
There are many different laws and regulations pertaining to the removal and cleanup of biohazardous materials. This is something that biohazard cleaning companies need to consider and they will also need to ensure they are observing the specific laws of the region they are working in. The US has a hazardous materials transportation act.
Biohazard cleaning training must include training on these complex laws, on how to deal with particular types of hazmat materials as well as how to use various equipment. Biohazard cleaning companies will also have an understanding of how to deal with various explosive materials and to prevent them from catching fire or sparking. All hazardous materials will then need to be carefully disposed of in a safe and eco-friendly manner.
After this process, some biohazard cleaning companies will then provide additional cleaning and remediation services. This means they might help to generally clean the area, to dispose of damaged items and to restore the premises to its previous condition. This will, of course, depend on the nature of the contract and the particular damage.
As you can see then, biohazard cleaning services provide a number of crucial roles and are often working behind the scenes to prevent contamination and environmental damage. If you run a business that has any interaction with potential hazardous materials, then keeping the number of a biohazard cleaning company to hand is always a good idea.
When you are in need of a biohazard cleaning company in Southeast Florida, call Secure Restoration. We are proud to serve Lake Worth, FL – Greenacres, FL – Wellington, FL – Palm Beach, FL – West Palm Beach, FL – Royal Palm Beach, FL – Riviera Beach, FL – Palm Beach Gardens, FL – Jupiter, FL – Jupiter Island, FL – Hobe Sound, FL – Stuart, FL – Palm City, FL – Okeechobee, FL – Jensen Beach, FL – Port St Lucie, FL – St Lucie West, FL – Ft Pierce, FL – Vero Beach, FL – Sebastian, FL and Melbourne, FL with all biohazard cleaning needs. You can count on us for prompt, efficient, and effective service. Call Secure Restoration today.
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