Cleaning up a blood spill at a violent crime or accident scene isn’t as simple as grabbing a mop and a bucket or calling a regular cleaner to remediate the area.

Exposure to biohazards and other biological substances at a trauma scene can transmit diseases, illness and potentially cause death which is why specific infection control measures need to be observed when cleaning up blood and other biohazards.

Cleaning up biohazards also requires specialised safety and cleaning equipment which is why these sorts of cleaning tasks are best left to a specially trained professional trauma cleaner.

 

What Is A Biohazard?

A biohazard is a potentially infectious biological substance (such as a microorganism, plant, animal, or their by-products) that can be considered hazardous to humans or the environment. Blood spills and other bodily fluids are examples of biohazards.

What Is A Trauma Cleaner?

Unlike other cleaners, professional trauma cleaners have the required skills, equipment and certifications to effectively clean and dispose of dangerous biohazards at a trauma scene.

Becoming a trauma cleaner requires specific on-the-job training and a willingness to comply with industry guidelines and Australian health regulations to ensure specialist cleaning jobs are completed safely and effectively.

Trauma cleaning involves thoroughly sterilising and decontaminating a trauma or crime scene, removing offensive odours and restoring the area to its original state so that it is safe and habitable once again.

 

What Protective Equipment Is Used By Trauma Cleaners? 

Due to the nature of their job, trauma cleaners need to take proper precautions and use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Most of this equipment is for single use only and is disposed of in hazardous waste disposal containers right after the cleaning job is complete.

A list of PPE used by trauma cleaners include:

• Protective biohazard suits
• Facemasks
• Filtered respirators
• Non-porous gloves
• Boots

 

What Cleaning Equipment Do Trauma Cleaners Use? 

Cleaning up biohazardous materials requires the use of specialist industrial strength cleaning equipment and chemicals as well as regular cleaning items commonly found in your home including:

• Mops
• Buckets
• Sponges
• Bleach
• Peroxide
• Cleaning cloths

Single-use cleaning products must be immediately disposed of after each use or following the cleaning of blood or bodily fluid.

 

The Clean-Up Process

Unlike ordinary cleaning jobs, there are some additional steps that trauma cleaners need to take to ensure they effectively restore a property.

Below is a summary of the main steps taken by trauma cleaners when cleaning up a trauma or crime scene:

1. Property assessment – the trauma cleaner will first assess the property and take note of the presence of biohazards before deciding on a plan of action.
2. Removal of all biohazards – biohazards will be then be removed from the scene by the trauma cleaner. Depending on the extent of the damage, some sections of the property may have to be removed altogether rather than cleaned or restored.
3. Safe disposal of biohazards – once removed from the scene, biohazards are then placed into biohazard waste containers and then carefully disposed of at an appropriate facility.
4. Scene Clean Up – once biohazardous substances have been removed from the scene, trauma cleaners will then clean, disinfect and deodorise the scene. They will also remove stains and any residual fingerprint dust left at the scene.

 

Why Hire A Professional?

The responsibility of cleaning up a trauma or crime scene will usually fall to the property owner or tenant. Hiring a professional trauma cleaner can reduce legal liability, minimise outside exposure to potentially dangerous pathogens and give peace of mind that a trauma scene has been restored to a safe and habitable state once more.

How To Choose A Good Trauma Cleaner 

Choosing a reputable trauma cleaner is easy once you know what to look out for. Ideal traits of a good trauma cleaner include:

• Experience & expertise – choose a trauma cleaner that’s had at least 5 years industry experience. Ideally, you would want to hire someone who has adequate knowledge and experience to thoroughly and effectively complete the task.
• Positive reviews – check online or ask other customers for their feedback to determine if the trauma cleaning service provider is reputable.
• Compassionate – hire a provider who is caring and understanding of the emotional challenges faced by the victims and their families in dealing with a crime or trauma scene.
• Availability – hire a team that is always on hand to help when you need it.

If you’re looking for a specialist trauma cleaner you can trust, give the team at National Trauma & Crime Scene Cleaning (NTCSC) a call on 0488 007 675. With over 30 years experience in trauma and biohazard cleaning, we’ve built a solid reputation within the industry and pride ourselves in our ability to deliver a thorough and effective trauma cleaning service.

Our team are friendly, compassionate, highly trained and always available 24/7 whenever you need us most. Call today for an obligation free quote.