It is not uncommon for messy accidents resulting in blood on surfaces to occur in schools, offices, industrial and other locations.
Very often, cleaning professionals are asked to hygienically clean up after such incidents.
While these accidents rarely reach the level of “crime scene” cleaning, many of the same steps and precautions taken when performing crime scene cleanup apply to these unfortunate incidents as well.
To effectively clean these areas and protect the health and safety of the cleaning worker, Kaivac, developers of the No-Touch Cleaning and OmniFlex Crossover Cleaning systems, offers the following tips and suggestions:
• Blood and tissue at the accident site must be treated as biohazards. Nonporous personal protective gear must be worn and disposed of once the area has been cleaned.
• Biohazard waste must be placed in 55-gallon, heavy-duty liners, sealed, and disposed of at a medical waste incinerator; it cannot be disposed of like regular trash.
• If the accident occurred on a carpeted area and blood or bodily fluids are noticeable, cleaners should assume more has soaked through the carpet to the subfloor underneath; in most cases, the carpet should be removed and the subfloor cleaned with a hospital-grade disinfectant.
• Hospital-grade disinfectants should also be used to wipe clean all nearby surfaces that are splattered, including counters, desks, ceilings, walls, light fixtures, and equipment such as computers, phones, etc.
• No-touch (spray-and-vac) cleaning systems are often recommended to clean floors and other surfaces, eliminating contact with contaminated surfaces. (Note: the wastewater must be treated as a biohazard.)
• If odors persist, it may be because bodily fluids have gotten into air ducts and hard-to-reach areas; industrial foggers that release cleaning agents into the air can often eradicate these odors.
“Cleaning workers should also put parameters on this type of cleaning,” says Matt Morrison, communications manager for Kaivac. “If the accident is serious and very messy, a crime scene cleaning professional may be necessary to clean up the accident.”