What to Expect From Hazardous Cleaning Services

We can encounter hazardous waste in many forms. It could be bodily fluid contaminants from a trauma scene, dangerous chemicals after a drug bust, or simply a bad case of household mold. Whatever hazardous materials you come across at work, it's a job that needs professional attention.

But what can you expect when you call in hazardous cleaning services? What sets them apart from other cleaning services? How can they allow you to get on with your investigation?

Let's take a closer look at what to expect from hazardous cleaning services.

A Team of Trained Professionals

It takes special qualities to work for a cleaning company that deals with hazardous waste.

Many of the scenes they encounter are distressing. There may have been fatalities, and team members need to be able to process that and get the job done. When you call a hazardous cleaning company, you can rest assured that their team members are well-trained, seasoned pros.

They also need to be able to be compassionate with affected family members or colleagues. They are there to do a job, but they bear in mind that people are the priority. Especially when working in private homes, they will be very mindful of the feelings of the family.

When searching for hazardous cleaning services near me, bear in mind that they expect callouts at odd hours. Tragedies don't neatly fit into 9-5 working hours. By working with a specialist cleaning company, you get the flexibility and responsiveness you need.

Specialist Training

As well as the emotional fortitude needed for the job, crew members need specialist skills. The first priority of all cleaning crews working with hazardous materials is to avoid contamination.

This begins with education and training. OSHA requires that all employees working in this field have bloodborne pathogen training. This training helps cleaners to identify potential hazards and minimize the risks from them. HCI environmental technicians are all required to undergo extensive HAZWOPER, trauma scene cleanup, COVID-19 and blood borne pathogen training.

Crews also learn how bloodborne pathogens spread. They can apply this training to a wide range of settings.

Specific training is also needed for handling hazardous waste safely. States set out requirements for the safe disposal of hazardous materials, such as asbestos.

Depending on the level of contamination, hazardous cleaning services such as HCI Environmental provide their employees with personal protective equipment (PPE) and require training for proper use.

Compliance with State Legislation

In many states, there are currently no licensing requirements for hazardous cleaning services. However, in California, there is. You need a permit to run a hazardous waste business.

For trauma scene cleanup, companies obtain licences from the California Department of Health Services. For biohazardous material and waste cleanup, companies can obtain necessary permits through the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. If you're hiring a hazardous cleaning company in California, make sure that they are fully licensed to carry out the work.

They will also have systems in place for safely disposing of the hazardous waste collected during the cleaning process.

Comprehensive Service

Hazardous cleaning companies are not there to give the place a light touch-up. Comprehensive and thorough don't even begin to describe the lengths that they go to. They will remove every trace of the tragedy that has taken place.

When the team arrives on the scene, their first priority is to suit up. The scene will normally be sealed off by law enforcement, which keeps unauthorized personnel from attending. Once the crew takes charge of the scene, they will put on their PPE and enter to assess the situation.

Starting Point: Removing Hazardous Materials

The initial assessment of the scene will reveal which materials are beyond saving. This may be furniture that is so badly contaminated that it's impossible to save it. The same is often true for carpets.

Sometimes, the extent of damage is much greater than first appears to the eye. Especially in the case of unattended deaths, fluids can seep deep into the fabric of the building.

A hazardous cleaning crew's toolbox is pretty varied. You will find tools that look more suited to a demo crew. Sometimes crews have to take drastic measures to eliminate biohazards.

Hazardous materials will be disposed of safely. This will be done in a way that minimizes the trauma for the family.

Next, the work of removing debris from the scene begins. Hazardous cleaning companies use specialist cleaning products. They have way more cleaning power than anything you'd pick up at the supermarket.

They use cleaning agents that detect and foam on contact with blood. They can also use powerful enzymatic cleaners to begin to break down bodily matter that is attached to surfaces. This can then be manually removed.

Top to Bottom Thorough Cleaning

Starting from the top and systematically working to the bottom, they will now clean every surface in the room. And we mean every surface - horizontal and vertical.

At many crime scenes, there is blood spatter and other material that has been sprayed far and wide. All of this must be carefully removed during the cleaning process.

Disinfecting and Odor Remediation Procedures

Once they have removed all contaminants, sanitizing can begin. Repeating the process, they will thoroughly disinfect all surfaces.

Depending on the circumstances, odor remediation can be a real challenge. The cleaning company will come equipped with its own arsenal of tools to help to remove odors from the building.

This includes hydroxyl generators, air scrubbers, and powerful chemicals to neutralize the odors.

Once all of these steps are over, the crew will finally hand the area back to its regular users.

Choose HCI for Hazardous Cleaning Services

Whether you’re dealing with a trauma scene, biohazardous materials or waste, you need to work with hazardous cleaning services to ensure the job is done properly and safely.

You can trust HCI with all your hazardous cleaning needs. We guarantee thorough cleanups and prioritize safety at all times. Our environmental technicians are equipped with the necessary skills, equipment, and training to get the job done.

We offer a variety of hazardous cleaning services including trauma scene cleanup,  asbestos or meth remediation and more! Our pricing is competitive and our reviews are outstanding.

Call us at 866.836.5765 or contact us online for more information on hazardous cleaning services.