For property managers and homeowners, a biohazard trauma scene (suicide, decomposing body, murder, etc.) was the last situation they were prepared to handle. Family members, friends or employees who try to clean blood, body fluid, human tissue, decomposing bodies, hypodermic needles, etc. find this task either physically or emotional overwhelming. Not to mention that cleaning after a a trauma scene opens up the “cleaning person” to be put in contact with hazards associated with blood, tissue and decomposition products. Please be aware that the physiological drama doesn’t end when the incident occurs. Many who clean up after a trauma scene have to deal with the emotional issues while cleaning. To compound the issue, the “cleaning person” most likely will not correctly clean the effected area correctly. This will lead to risks spreading the contamination and exposing others to pathogens.
When you hire a professional bio-recovery company or crime scene clean up company, you avoid the following:
1.Legal exposure to workers compensation claim and possibility of a lawsuit by an employee or even a family member or friend. Although some will down play the risk, with the public knowledge of bio hazards risks and the rising use of lawsuits, you may want to consider using a biohazard company to hand off the legal responsibility.
2.Companies should avoid the legal issues associated with the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Rules and state sanitary codes. OSHA requires that a company Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan be in place if one employee can reasonably be expected to be exposed once per year. Federal Regulation 29CFRI910.1030 states that no employee can be placed in a position to be exposed to blood spills without first:
■Receiving bloodborne pathogen (BBP) training.
■Having a written BBP exposure control plan.
■Having been provided appropriate personal protective equipment.
■Having been offered the Hepatitis B vaccine with exposure evaluation and medical follow-up.
■Being provided with a method to remove and properly store the bio-hazardous waste in properly marked containers for disposal at an approved site.
