Biohazards – Page 3

Hoarding Explained

May 1, 2017 By Alan Cohen

Hoarding continues to sweep the US in record numbers. Hoarding affects up to 6% of the US population which is approximately 19 million people, twice the rate of OCD. Hoarding has been found to run in families and is quickly emerging as an issue that continues to grow as the population ages. Hoarding tendencies typically get worse as one ages and usually after the death of a loved one, a divorce, or another significant crisis or traumatic incident.

Hoarding is a mental health condition that is now diagnosable on its own, listed in the DSM, and no longer diagnosed as OCD. Awareness around hoarding is increasing but still remains an underdiagnosed and undertreated mental illness. To put it into greater perspective, Hoarding is six times more prevalent than Autism but is not as well known, researched, or funded.

Compulsive hoarding is associated in various studies with serious health risks such as household falls, obesity, respiratory problems (caused by dust mites, rodent feces, and squalor), and poor medication compliance not to mention the risk of falling over the debris. For a better understanding of hoarding and how a hoarder feels take a look at this video by Psychologist Dr. Greg Chasson of Towson University who outlines the symptoms of compulsive hoarding and how it can lead to debilitating stress. (Towson University)

Call Bio SoCal if you or a family member needs help and we can discuss your specific situation and schedule a FREE in-home estimate.

Unattended Death/Biohazard Cleanup – Apartment

March 23, 2017 By Alan Cohen

A RESIDENT WAS FOUND DECEASED IN YOUR APARTMENT– YOU HAVE BIOHAZARDS – NOW WHAT?

Flowers After Death Cleanup

Unfortunately, chances are that at some point one of your residents who lives alone will pass and go undiscovered, or a crime or suicide will take place on your property. You are immediately thrown into emergency response mode. The authorities are called, the other residents become concerned, and you are faced with blood and biohazards in the apartment and a cleanup that is more than what maintenance can be asked to do. There are important and legally required steps you must follow before you can get the property back to generating revenue.

Critical First Steps

What you do next is critical to mitigate further damage to your property and ensure the safety of residents and staff. The coroner will often seal the unit until next of kin can be notified and in some cases where extensive decomposition sets in, they may not release the unit until a positive identification can be made.

Coroner Seal

Once the apartment is cleared by the coroner, don’t allow anyone to enter the apartment or try to clean it unless you and your staff have been properly trained and in accordance with OSHA regulation standard 1910.1030. Exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other potentially infectious material can be very dangerous. Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans, including, but not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Next, call a biohazard cleanup company with a Trauma Scene Waste Management Practitioners License (TSW) issued by the California Department of Public Health, trained to follow the California Health and Safety Code of the Medical Waste Management Act for cleanup and disposal of regulated medical waste. Any company or person hired in California to clean up biohazards must have a TSW to legally collect, transport, and dispose of biohazard waste.

If the company does not have a TSW license or cannot show it to you, DO NOT HIRE THEM or you will be exposing yourself to liability.

What you see is not what it is…

Upon death or traumatic accident, humans immediately begin to decompose; blood and bodily fluids begin to drain. Biohazards ultimately end up on the floor, mattress, sofa, counter tops; with gunshots, on the walls, cabinets, appliances, ceiling, bathtub, sinks, and toilet. Blood droplets tend to cover everything in their path, which must be found and cleaned along with more visible blood.

Unlike spilled coffee, biohazards must be properly decontaminated, cleaned, and removed to ensure the safety of future residents and your staff to mitigate odors and maggot infestations. A licensed biohazard professional will assure the unit is cleaned properly and quickly, and available to generate revenue in the shortest period of time.

What to expect from a Biohazard Professional

A reputable biohazard company will need to assess the following, to give you an accurate cost estimate: method of death (natural causes, gun shot, sharp object, overdose); manner and placement where the body came to rest; how long it was undiscovered; and amount of biohazard waste to be disposed.

Biohazard professionals should arrive discretely, inspect the unit and determine the cleanup plan. A general rule of thumb is: soft surfaces are removed (carpet/pad, upholstered items, mattress/bedding, clothing, etc.) and hard surfaces can be decontaminated and cleaned (linoleum floor, sealed wood furniture, walls, bathroom fixtures, etc.)

There is much more to address on the floor than the visible stain. Typically, blood seeps through carpet and seams in tile, linoleum or wood. If biohazards have gotten underneath, affected flooring, including padding and tack strips, must be completely removed to effectively clean, decontaminate, and seal the sub floor.

Odor is another pressing issue that must be fully addressed to complete the cleanup. Odors from decomposition and blood are extremely unpleasant and can linger even after biohazard materials are removed. Choose professionals who utilize state-of-the-art technology, such as ozone and oxygen-replenishment treatments, to remove odors safely and effectively, without lingering chemical smells or perfumes.

Remedying the unfortunate occurrence of a suicide or death can seem daunting, but by engaging the help of a licensed biohazard professional, your unit will be cleaned thoroughly and safely, and you will have peace of mind that future residents can move in as if nothing had ever happened.

Alan Cohen is the CEO/Owner of Bio SoCal. For more information or to ask questions please go to https://BioSoCal.com or contact Alan directly at Alan@BioSoCal.com. Bio SoCal serves all Southern California counties including LA, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Diego.

Biohazard Cleanup – Death in a Hotel Room

February 28, 2017 By Alan Cohen

A GUEST PASSES AWAY IN A HOTEL ROOM – NOW WHAT?

Death Cleanup in Hotel Room Chances are that at some point a guest will pass away in a guest room and goes unnoticed for a couple of days or commits suicidecausing a Biohazard situation. There are important and legally required steps you must follow before you can get the room back to generating revenue.

Critical First Steps

There are critical steps that must be done to mitigate further damage to a property and ensure the safety of other guests and staff. First and foremost, do not allow anyone to enter the room or try to clean it up unless hotel staff have been properly trained and in accordance with OSHA regulation standard 1910.1030. Exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other potentially infectious material (OPIM) can be very dangerous.
Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Next, call a biohazard cleanup company that has a Trauma Scene Waste Management Practitioners License (TSW) issued by the California Department of Public Health. A professional is trained to follow the California Health and Safety Code of the Medical Waste Management Act for the cleanup and disposal of regulated medical waste. Any company or person hired in California to clean up a situation that includes biohazards, such as blood and bodily fluids, must have a TSW to be able to properly and legally collect, transport and dispose of biohazard waste.

If a biohazard cleanup company does not have a TSW license or cannot provide it, DO NOT HIRE THEM or you will be exposing your property to liability.

The coroner will often seal the unit until next of kin can be notified and in some cases where extensive decomposition sets in, they may not release the room until a positive identification can be made, which adds time. Try to get a release as quickly as possible to help mitigate any further damage to the room or further inconvenience your other guests.

What you see is not what it is…

Upon death or traumatic accident, humans immediately begin to decompose and, as a result, their blood and other bodily fluids begin to drain. These substances ultimately end up on the floor, counter tops, the mattress, box spring and, in the case of a gunshot, on the walls, ceiling, mirror, bathtub, sinks, and toilet. Blood droplets, especially resulting from a gunshot, tend to cover everything in its path, which must be found and cleaned along with the visible pools of blood.

Unlike spilled coffee, biohazards must be properly decontaminated, cleaned, and removed to eliminate odors and ensure the safety of future guests and your staff. In addition to the bodily fluids, and depending on the length of time the body or bodily fluids are unaddressed, flies and maggots could hatch and contaminate the room beyond where the bodily fluids are as they begin to fly around after being contaminated with the bodily fluids. Hiring a licensed biohazard professional will not only prevent these risks, but will assure the entire room is cleaned properly and quickly, and get the affected room back into use in the shortest possible time.

What to expect from a Biohazard Professional

A reputable biohazard company will not be able to give a precise estimate without seeing the situation, but typically they can provide a cost range based on what is described. Many variables affect the cost of a biohazard cleanup in California: the method for which the guest takes his/her own life (gun shot, sharp object, overdose, natural causes); the manner and placement where the body came to rest; how long it was undiscovered; and the amount of biohazard waste that needs to be disposed of, all play into what the clean up will entail.

The biohazard professional will arrive discretely, inspect the room and determine the most appropriate plan for cleanup. A general rule of thumb is that soft surfaces are removed (upholstered items, beds & bedding, towels, robes, etc.) and hard surfaces can be decontaminated and cleaned (sealed wood furniture, walls, cleaning, mirror, bathroom fixtures, etc.)

With a suicide or undiscovered death, there is much more to address on the floor than the stain on the carpet. In almost all cases the blood seeps through the carpet and pad to the subfloor. The carpet, pad and any affected tack strips must be removed. The sub floor is then cleaned, decontaminated and sealed. If the floor is linoleum, tile, or wood, and the biohazards have not gotten underneath the flooring through cracks, grout or edges by the wall, it can be decontaminated and cleaned. If biohazards have gotten under the flooring or in cracks, the affected flooring will need to be removed to effectively clean, decontaminate, and seal the sub floor.

Remedying the unfortunate occurrence of a guest suicide or death can seem daunting, but by engaging the help of a licensed biohazard professional, a guest room will be cleaned thoroughly and safely, ensuring that future guests will enjoy their stay as if nothing had ever happened.

Alan Cohen is the CEO/Owner of Bio SoCal. For more information or to ask questions please go to BioSoCal.com or contact Alan directly at Alan@BioSoCal.com. Bio SoCal serves all Southern California counties including LA, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Diego.

California Hotel & Lodging Newsletter – A GUEST PASSES AWAY IN A HOTEL ROOM – NOW WHAT?

Homeless Encampment Clean Out Los Angeles

January 4, 2017 By Alan Cohen

The homeless situation in Los Angeles and across America is at an all-time high. For many communities the issues homelessness is now worse than ever and is a crisis with few answers.

Makeshift temporary shelters have been erected through out Los Angeles and the surrounding counties, often causing unsanitary and contiguous conditions, mounds of trash and a nuisance to the residents. Bio So Cal is fully licensed and qualified to safely remove the debris and decontaminate and dispose of all biohazards in Los Angeles Homeless Encampments on both private and public property and can help guide you through the laws and requirements in doing so.

Homeless Encampment Cleanout — Homeless Encampment After

Bio SoCal’s Homeless Encampment Team will:

Remove all biohazards including feces illegal drugs, paraphernalia, & eedles.

Clean & Decontaminate bodily fluids including blood, feces, and vomit

Remove all debris and dismantle temporary shelters

Homeless encampments can affect us in many ways. In the majority of cases, unsightly temporary shelters create litter filled areas in our neighbourhoods. In most cases, the unsheltered cause a health and safety concern due to untreated medical conditions, accumulation of human waste, spoiled food, rodents, insects, and infectious disease and overall dirty environments around you residence or business.

In order to safely remove a homeless encampment that is generally filled with biohazards it is important that trained professionals address the issue. Bio So Cal is registered with the California Department of Public Health to provide biohazard clean up including homeless encampments and a variety of other services. For more information about our discreet services, check out the rest of our website, or get in touch by phone.

Biohazard & Crime Scene Cleanup

December 14, 2016 By Alan Cohen

Bio SoCal is called upon regularly by Law Enforcement and cities officials o help citizens after a crime occurs in their home or business.

Bio So Cal arrives to Crime Scenes in discrete and unmarked trucks to clean and decontaminate crime scenes professionally and according to the protocol and regulation’s set out by the California Department of Public Health.

How is a Biohazard Scene Cleaned?

Any biohazard site needs to be attended to in accordance with strict health and safety regulations. If you are in any doubt as to whether you are allowed to handle such a situation, then you all Bio SoCal for service.

At Bio Cal is licensed by the CDPH, and all of our staff are fully trained to know how to handle, and properly decontaminate a biohazards. Our staff is equipped with PPE (personal protective equipment), and uses the most effective and Eco-friendly chemicals to clean and decontaminate the scene.

What is a Biohazard?

A biohazard is anything which is a risk to spread illness or disease and includes the following:

If you are uncertain as to whether you are dealing with a biohazard, just give us a call and we will help guide you through and safe and appropriate plan prior to our arrival.

Crime Scene Clean Up

We provide crime scene cleanup services to private citizens, as well as to businesses, and municipalities. We understand that a crime scene is a sensitive and confidential matter and are always discrete and sensitive to ongoing investigations and the emotional impact of such an event.

What does it cost to clean up a Crime Scene?

We always do our very best to make our services as affordable as possible while. The last thing you need is additional worry and stress during a difficult and unexpected time. Every situation is different and each scene requires specific attention all of which contributes to the cost. If you have a homeowners insurance or business policy it is most likely only going to cost you the deductible with little to no out of pocket for you.

Hoarding Explained

Unattended Death/Biohazard Cleanup – Apartment

A RESIDENT WAS FOUND DECEASED IN YOUR APARTMENT– YOU HAVE BIOHAZARDS – NOW WHAT?

Critical First Steps

What you see is not what it is…

What to expect from a Biohazard Professional

Biohazard Cleanup – Death in a Hotel Room

A GUEST PASSES AWAY IN A HOTEL ROOM – NOW WHAT?

Critical First Steps

What you see is not what it is…

What to expect from a Biohazard Professional

Homeless Encampment Clean Out Los Angeles

The homeless situation in Los Angeles and across America is at an all-time high. For many communities the issues homelessness is now worse than ever and is a crisis with few answers.

Bio SoCal’s Homeless Encampment Team will:

Biohazard & Crime Scene Cleanup

How is a Biohazard Scene Cleaned?

What is a Biohazard?

Crime Scene Clean Up

What does it cost to clean up a Crime Scene?

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