Wondering Who Cleans Up The Blood at a Crime Scene?

For families who have suffered a violent crime or serious accident in their home, it is not always clear who cleans up the blood left at the crime scene. Many families tackle this feat alone, or with the help of a few close friends. Today, the burden of cleaning up after a homicide, suicide, or other trauma can be alleviated with the help and expertise of a crime scene cleanup company.

Professional Crime Scene Cleanup

If you have to ask, who cleans up the blood at a crime scene, chances are you are in a situation that can pose serious health and safety risks if not properly remediated. It is recommended that you not clean it on your own and instead reach out to a crime scene cleanup company for help.

The dangers of cleaning a crime scene on your own:

Crime scene cleanup involves removing other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) from a site and restoring it to a safe and sanitary state. Blood and body fluids fall into this category because of their ability to harbor pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, hepatitis C, MRSA, and other diseases. OPIMs that are routinely found at a crime scene include semen and vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, and synovial fluid, among others. As a result, cleaning up the blood and body fluids at a crime scene requires:

  • The use of personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE used at a crime scene usually includes gloves, respirators, masks, boot coverings, goggles, and biohazard suits.
  • Proper training.A reputable crime scene cleanup company will offer onsite training for employees and can provide proof of job-specific OSHA training, bloodborne pathogen and PPE training, and medical waste handling/transporting training.
  • Specialized sanitization.When cleaning up blood, a simple mop and bucket technique is not enough. Unlike a standard cleaning company, a crime scene cleanup company approaches blood cleanup with a full scientific process to fully remediate all potential bloodborne pathogens and blood stains.

With almost 20 years of experience, Aftermath is the nation’s leading crime scene cleanup company. On top of our expertise in biohazard cleanup, we are dedicated to easing the emotional trauma of those experiencing the aftereffects of a homicide, suicide, or unattended death in their home or place of business. Still have questions regarding who cleans up blood at a crime scene? We are available to answer your questions day or night.

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Sources:

http://www.aftermath.com/contact-24-7-365/
http://www.aftermath.com/biohazard-company/crime-cleanup-28-point-checklist/
http://home.ncifcrf.gov/ehs/ibc/opim.asp