The rooms in which a violent crime or a severe accident that has resulted in a serious blood spill are not only scenes of tragic events – they are also rooms that are contaminated by the blood and that need to be cleaned with special methods, by professionals trained to perform such cleaning jobs safely. Here are some important things to know about cleaning up blood from the scene of a crime or of an accident.
When Cleaning Technicians Start Work
If the blood spill occurred as the result or some sort of violent criminal activity, it will be the forensic team that will first start work on the site, containing the scene and collecting evidence. When the forensic team is done working on the crime scene, it is time for the professional cleaning team to arrive and start work, removing all the blood and other contamination and restoring the safety and the cleanliness of the site.
Preparing For the Cleaning Process
Blood being considered hazardous material that can spread illnesses and diseases, the first thing that blood cleanup Denver technicians will do is to put on personal protective equipment to prevent any direct contact with the hazardous material. The protective gear used by the cleaning and decontamination team will include a full protective suit, gloves, shoes, goggles and special facial masks.
In the preliminary phase, the cleaning team will also prepare the machines and substances necessary for the removal of even the last and tiniest blood residue. The specialized equipment and substances used for removing blood borne pathogens and other blood components include special bleach and decontamination products, products used for containing the objects contaminated with blood as well as specialized devices to identify blood not only where the spell is visible, but also invisible traces. The cleaning team will also use special steam cleaners that deliver high pressure to completely sanitize the space and to remove any contamination traces.
The Process of Blood Cleanup
The decontamination team will proceed to remove all blood residues with the help of their specialized chemicals. While the use of the chemicals is quite safe on some types of sturdy surfaces, they might cause damage on others, such as on carpets and on fine fabrics – an inevitable collateral damage.
The Disposal of Hazardous Materials
The cleanup team will use materials that need to be disposed of among safe conditions and they will also use tools that can be later sterilized. The final process of the cleanup is the separation of the two types of materials, which means that the cleanup team will collect the materials that have been contaminated during the process and dispose of them according to the applicable safety rules and regulations. The materials disposed of will include the protective garment worn by the cleanup team as well as the materials that could not be properly sanitized during the process.
Deodorization
In some situations, this phase is not necessary, but if the crime involves a body that has not been discovered for a long time or the presence of the blood on objects for a specific amount of time, deodorization is a step that cannot be skipped.