by Marc Goldwich
I was reviewing the headlines this morning which were chock full of mayhem. Everything from the aftermath of catastrophic flooding which resulted in
numerous drowning deaths in the South Carolina, to more school shootings, along with a smattering of auto-related
fatalities vied for my attention. This combined with Halloween being just around the corner was enough to cause my mind to entertain the dark side of life. So I began thinking about the job of cleaning up after a catastrophe.
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| Image from commons.wikimedia.org |
In case you're not aware, there is an entire
industry set up for handling these kinds of events. Typically called
“Biohazard Clean-up” or “Crime Scene Clean-up”, these companies are e an offshoot
of emergency restoration companies. Whether the hazard you need gone consists of toxic waste, deadly mold, body fluids or most any other kind of nasty stuff that crop up after an emergency, there are trained professionals who are only too happy to roll up their sleeves and dive right in.
The hit Discovery TV show “Dirty Jobs” is a favorite of
mine, but I doubt you will ever see Mike Rowe tackling this type of job. While
certainly “dirty” enough, my guess is it would simply be too disrespectful to
find any humor in this line of work, and for his show, humor plays
a major role.
There are other shows which depict and deal with death,
usually CSI or homicide, but I have never seen one address the clean-up aspect that
invariably needs to take place after the police finish their investigation. Since you can now
watch shows on just about any occupation imaginable, I would not be surprised
to find a show following biohazard clean-up teams around.
So what would that entail? First let’s think about the types
of situations these companies and their crews might deal with. Things like:
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Sewage backups
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| From commons.wikimedia.org |
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Suicide
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Homicide cleanup
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Blood cleanup
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Accidental death cleanup
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MRSA and H1N1 decontamination
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Hoarding scenes
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Animal waste/remains
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Chemical spills
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Tear gas cleanup
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Meth lab cleanup
- Radiological hazards
None of these events should be taken lightly, or undertaken
by anyone except certified biohazard professionals. Not that most people
would want to deal with any of these problems
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These companies need to be well versed in applicable
state and federal regulations, they need to be licensed and certified (where required), they need to use
appropriate transportation and/or disposal protocols, and they may need to be
registered with the states’ Department of Health. These companies can also
expect to be regulated by governing and advisory bodies such as OSHA (Occupational
Safety and Health Administration), NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health), DOT (Department of Transportation), and EPA (Environmental
Protection Agency).
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| Image courtesy of townhall.com |
The dirty work of these professionals usually begins when
the coroner’s office, or other governmental entity officially releases the
scene to the property owner or other responsible party. Depending on the type
and severity of the “event”, the clean-up teams are required to wear protective clothing, may
seal off rooms to prevent or minimize the spread of airborne or physical elements
of the bio-hazard scene, and follow specified methods and practices to decontaminate such scenes.
The scenes must be meticulously cleaned of all harmful
material, which typically includes the removal of any porous materials (whether
personal belongings like clothing and sheets, or building materials such as
carpeting, wood subfloor, or drywall) – which must all be properly disposed of,
and then sanitized. You can only imagine the mess that will be left, even after
the mess that was the biohazard is removed.
And many people are so distraught after dealing with such a
loss, that they overlook the fact that insurance may cover the expense of the clean-up efforts. Just remember this rule of thumb, if property is
damaged as a result, it is probably covered by insurance (either yours, or
someone else’s).
ServPro.com provided the following bio-hazard and sewage
emergency tips:
After any biohazard or sewage contamination in your home or
business, your primary focus should be safety:
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Is it safe to stay in the house?
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Exposure to biological and chemical contaminants
can pose serious health consequences.
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Flood water can contain sewage, pesticides, and
other contaminants.
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Only do activities that are safe for you to
perform.
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| Image courtesy of aftermath.com |
What to Do After a Contamination
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Stay out of affected areas.
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Call emergency service personnel if the
situation is life-threatening.
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Treat all bodily fluids as if they are
contaminated.
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Turn off the HVAC system if there is sewage
damage.
What Not to Do After a Contamination
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Don’t leave wet fabrics in place. Hang furs and
leather goods.
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Don’t leave books, magazines, or other colored
items on wet carpet or floors.
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Don’t use your household vacuum to remove water.
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Don’t use television or other household
appliances.
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Don’t turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is
wet, and keep out of rooms where ceilings are sagging.
Let’s all hope we never need these tips, but as we can
plainly see from watching the news, the fact is, biohazard clean-up is a grim
reality for many families. As with anything else, the more you know in advance
of an emergency, the better equipped you will be in handling that situation.
Mark Goldwich is president of Gold Star Adjusters, a group of public insurance adjusters dedicated to helping citizens get the maximum settlement for any insurance claim.
