As a Washington state biohazard remediation company, we often encounter blood on our cleanup projects. Our technicians wear protective gear and they’ve been trained to identify and avoid contamination with blood, but that might not be true of workers in other industries. Many people get exposed to blood in the course of their jobs, and it’s very important to be aware of just how dangerous blood might be.

Blood itself isn’t the threat; it’s the microorganisms it can contain or provide a food source to that are problematic and potentially fatal. In fact, the three most common ones – hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV – can cause death. But there are many others as well. And it’s not just bacteria or viruses blood may harbor; there may be dangerous drugs like heroin or fentanyl present as well. Because of these health threats, we highly recommend you hire a professional biohazard company to clean up messes where blood is involved.

But often encountering blood is a regular workplace hazard, especially for those in the health care sector as well as first responders. Those in the housekeeping industry are at risk. Even sanitation workers might be exposed to blood during routine trash pick-up and transfer. And with IV drug use at an almost epidemic state, a prick from a used hypodermic needle might expose someone to contaminated blood. (Because of this, we get concerned when volunteer groups and others with no training handle homeless camp cleanup. Discarded, contaminated needles are usually in abundance on these sites.)

Because the potential of a blood-borne pathogen is so extensive, one thing we highly recommend is that people are made aware of the dangers that handling discarded needles and syringes can pose. A needlestick is probably the most common way someone inadvertently gets exposed to contaminated blood. We can’t say it enough: DO NOT handle a discarded needle with bare hands; where protective gear and exercise extreme caution. Dispose of needles and other sharps appropriately. Employers should also educate their workers on what to do in the event of an exposure. Emergency information should be posted. The CDC has good basic information on what to do in case of an exposure: click here to visit the CDC reference guide.

Something else to consider for those who routinely encounter blood in the course of their employment: getting a Hep-C vaccination. While there are no vaccines currently available for HIV or Hep-B, you can protect yourself against Hep-C. And if blood spills are a regular occurrence at your place of business, you may want to consider talking to us about safe and effective cleanup.

In this post we’ll cover a topic they probably don’t handle in an MBA program: safe blood cleanup.  While you as a business owner may be adept at managing your company, this is an area you should know at least a little something about, because sooner or later an unexpected death or crime at your place of business may result in spilling of blood or other bodily fluids.  Knowing how to safely handle the situation is extremely important, because bodily fluids are classed as biohazards, meaning they can be a threat to life.

All business owners should have a plan for dealing with cleanup of biohazards in situations such as a crime, suicide, or sudden death.  That’s a good place to start.

But having a plan and actually implementing it can be two very different things.  It’s difficult to prepare for the unexpected, especially when it is traumatic.  The shock of a trauma often makes it difficult to focus or quickly make decisions, but having some information on where to start with safe blood cleanup can help.  In most cases, your best option is to contact a biohazard remediation and cleanup company such as ours to take over.

  • Safety of your employees and the general public should be your primary goal.

There are legal requirements for the safe cleanup and disposal of blood and other biohazards. Most people aren’t trained in how to handle it, and general household cleaning products won’t take care of the health threat.

  • Unless you know the procedures for safe cleanup of blood, we suggest you don’t attempt it.  You could actually make the situation worse. There are a number of dangerous pathogens (disease-causing microbes) that blood can carry.  And those pathogens can become airborne when blood is disturbed.  Dried blood can ‘mist’ and carry bacteria and other infectious microbes into the air, depositing them in areas removed from the blood spill.  You and those around you could inhale those particles as well.  Should those particles get into an air handling system, they can be dispersed throughout the building. 
  • Blood can seep into anything porous – textiles like carpets and draperies, furniture, and even wood and wall finishes like paint and wallpaper.  It can get into gaps between components as well as trim.
  • Over time, blood-borne pathogens will become harmless, but the odors of blood left behind can attract rodents and insects, and they often transmit other infectious diseases.
  • Do not ask an employee to tackle the task, unless that worker has been trained in safe cleanup and disposal of biohazards.  You’re risking that employee’s health as well as opening up your company to legal action.
  • Rapid, effective cleanup of blood is extremely important, regardless of whether the cause was crime, suicide, or even a death from natural causes.  Bacteria and other infectious and dangerous microorganisms can spread quickly, and speedy cleanup is essential in containment.  We understand that and are available 24/7, every day of the year. 

MedTech offers blood and other biohazard cleanup in Washington state as well as some surrounding Pacific Northwest areas.  If you have a blood spill at your place of business, contact us immediately at (877) 691-6706.  We have a quick response time and a reputation for safe and discrete cleanup.

 

 

 

 

 

It is not uncommon for someone to die without anyone present.  This is referred to as an unattended death.  It may be a suicide, a crime-related fatality, or a death from natural causes of someone who lived alone and whose passing wasn’t noticed at first.

Since a human body begins to decompose quickly (the process begins within 24 hours), it is imperative that it be removed and the area cleaned up as soon as possible.  Unattended death cleanup is one of our common services.

But there are times we are called on to provide those same biohazard cleaning services in an attended death.  We were contacted by a property management company to handle some things following the death of a resident in a senior assisted living community.  The man was suffering from a terminal illness, and though not yet incapacitated and requiring care in a facility, he was somewhat impaired physically and his wife and other family members were providing care for him.

Unfortunately one night in his sleep his condition worsened rapidly, and his wife awoke to find him unconscious and hemorrhaging, in a pool of blood on the floor next to their bed.  She placed a call to 911, but by the time they arrived the man had died, having basically bled to death.  The carpeting was soaked, the bedding and mattress were blood spattered and so the property manager contacted us to come in and take care of things while the wife and family were away making arrangements for his funeral.

Other than his cancer, the man had no other health issues that would be considered health threats. He was not suffering from any infectious disease, and so that was not the concern.  So why would the property manager want to have a professional biohazard cleaning company come in?

Simply due to the amount of blood.  Small blood stains are usually cleaned up easily if taken care of quickly.  However, in this case it was substantial enough to soak the carpeting. And in all likelihood it was wicked quickly to the pad beneath it and probably the floor. Standard household cleaning products and procedures are rarely sufficient to deal with a blood spill like this.

Our task was to remove the carpet and dispose of it properly, then decontaminate the floor.  We also removed and disposed of the mattress and the bedding.

Why the urgency?  The primary reason was to get the room cleaned up before the wife returned.  She had suffered an immense emotional trauma with the unexpected loss as well as the graphic nature of her husband’s death.  Imagine how coming back to see the bloody scene would have affected her. We are thankful the property manager had sufficient compassion for her to quickly arrange cleanup.

The second reason is that in order for this residence to be rented out again, it would need to be cleaned, decontaminated, and restored. The wife did not need care services and thus would be moving out of the unit, but not knowing when this would occur, the property manager thought it would be best to get it taken care of right away, especially while she was gone making arrangements for her husband’s funeral.

The third reason is that bodily fluids such as blood can be a breeding ground for bacteria and other undesirable microbes.  Getting those fluids cleaned up quickly helps reduce the spread of disease and other health threats.

We were able to get the carpeting and bedding out, and the room cleaned up and restored as best as possible before her return.  Installation of new carpeting was done after she moved, but we were able to remove both the physical reminder of the trauma as well as the potential biohazard in her absence.

If you are in need of emergency cleanup of blood – like the owner of this property was – you can count on us for compassionate, respectful, and efficient service.  We serve the greater Spokane area as well as other parts of Washington state and the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

As a trusted biohazard cleanup company working here in the Pacific Northwest, we often encounter blood on projects we take on.  Whether it’s the result of trauma, suicide, a crime scene, or an unattended death, the presence of blood causes our cleanup technicians to step up their preventative measures even further than our normal protocols. The same is true when used injection syringes (with needles) are present, such as in homeless camps or public spaces where IV drug users congregate to shoot up.

Why do we take special care when blood is present in a cleanup scene?

HIV virus under microscope

Because there are various viruses and other pathogens that can be present in blood, and some of them can survive for extended periods of time.  According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the three most common ones are:

  • HIV
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C

All three of these illnesses can be fatal.  Becoming infected with any of these from contact with blood is usually via a cut in the skin (such as the needle puncture the police officer suffered) or contact with mucous membranes.

The Likelihood of Becoming Infected from These Bloodborne Pathogens

We don’t want to over-exaggerate the risk, because the rate of transmission is low. For example, your risk of contracting HIV from a dirty needle is only 0.3% In a 15-year time span, the CDC was only able to document 57 cases, and of those the majority were health care workers like nurses and lab techs, and they were all related to a cut or puncture.  (Note:  Some researchers claim the rate is far higher. But even 1 in 300 is too big of a gamble.)

Though on the decline since 1977 (a 95%) drop, due mainly to a new vaccine and massive immunization of health care workers, Hepatitis B still remains a health threat.  It can cause severe liver damage and can be fatal.  The estimated risk of contracting it via contact with a needle or cut is somewhere between 6-30%.

Hepatitis C causes damage similar to Hep B.  There are 4 other Hepatitis viruses – A, D, E, and G.  All can be transmitted via contaminated blood, and it is believed that Hepatitis E can also be spread by drinking water contaminated with feces from an infected individual. Some are also sexually transmitted.  Hep D, E, and G are rare in the U.S., but occasional cases have been documented.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of dangers that may accompany blood spills, but it does include the most common ones.  The wisest course of action when encountering used needles is to avoid any contact whatsoever; report them to the appropriate authorities.  (If you live in the Seattle area, the direction is to call 911.)

And if you have property that has been contaminated by spilled blood, we recommend you contact a biohazard cleanup company such as ours, with trained technicians and specialized equipment to safely decontaminate the area and dispose appropriately of anything contaminated with the blood.  We are also experienced in property restoration, should tear-out of building materials, carpeting, and other furnishings be required.

 

 

 

Blood stains are inevitable – they’re a part of life.  They begin in the delivery room the moment we’re born, and they often accompany our deaths. Moms deal with skinned knees and cut fingers on a continual basis, and those childhood boo-boos keep bandage makers in business.

But what about cleaning up when blood is present?

Blood can be one of the most difficult stains to get out.  But what we’re addressing in this article isn’t the routine blood stains you get at home; those you usually can safely deal with yourself.  But there are times that blood should NOT be handled by anyone other than a trained professional, because your own health could be at stake.  Situations include suicide, unattended death, or violent crime.  Yes, there is often a substantial amount of blood in these cases, but there are other reasons you should leave this type of cleanup to a company who specializes in dealing with biohazards and other types of specialized cleaning.

Why Leave Blood Cleanup to a Professional

  • Blood can carry disease or toxins you could not be aware of, even if it was from a close family member.  There are many blood-borne pathogens you could be exposing yourself to without knowing it.  The victim may have had a condition that even he or she didn’t know about.
  • Once blood has dried, disturbing it will cause it to flake off, and it can become airborne.  Inhaling those particles can be a health hazard as well. 
  • Most states and many local jurisdictions have protocols and regulations in place for dealing with blood clean-up from crime scenes, accidents, and trauma.  Unless you are a trained and certified cleanup company, you most likely are not aware of what is required.  When not done properly, a fine or other penalty could be the result.
  • This is a bit more practical. If you’re not used to cleaning up large amounts of blood – especially in carpeting or other fabrics – you could inadvertently make the stain worse. 
  • Bloodstains on carpet – other than small surface stains – often require removal and disposal of the carpet and possibly the underlying pad, because the carpet functions as a wick, drawing the blood below the surface of the carpet into the pad, and possibly into the floor itself. Any contaminants in the blood could be released in the future if the carpet becomes wet, such as in a future cleaning. 

So if you have property in the Pacific Northwest (or western Montana or Idaho) that has experienced a blood spill (other than a normal household accident), don’t expose yourself to hazards.  Please call us.  We have emergency response available, and each of our crews include a hazmat certified supervisor.  We’ll get that blood cleaned up safely and properly.

MedTech Cleaners has been providing haz-mat, biohazard, crime scene, and other trauma cleanup services in northern Oregon, Washington, western Montana and Idaho for nearly three decades. 

 

 

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