Frequently Asked Questions

It is safe to say that a Crime, Tragedy or Trauma is usually unplanned; most of us never have and will never need to contend with one, so it is simply something that is beyond our experience.

It is also safe to say that most of us would be shocked after the police, emergency responders and medical examiners have gone to find that we are left with the burden of cleaning up the scene of the event.  The situation is worsened by the presence of hazardous substances such as blood and or bodily fluids or secretions, potentially life threatening microorganisms, spores and viruses. Many of these biological hazards are commonly present at any trauma scene or death scene.

It is deeply regrettable at stressful times such as these that there are those who take advantage of anyone.  It is also unfortunate that there are so many others, well-meaning souls wishing to help but simply are not qualified, they endanger themselves and place you at risk by not properly removing the biological hazards from your home or place of business.

As difficult as it may seem, it is worthwhile to research a cleanup company before hiring them, here are a few tips that may help you choose a cleanup company.

1. Verify that they are certified by the Better Business Bureau (go to www.bbb.org),  search for the company to check that there are no outstanding complaints.  For instance, there is one large nationwide Cleanup Company that has had 12 complaints filed against it, and has been under investigation by a State Attorney General, one clearly would not wish be involved with such a business.
2. The company should be fully licensed, insured and bonded.  Representatives should be able to provide evidence of licensure and coverage on demand.
3. Verify that the company's technicians are certified by the American Bio Recovery Association [ABRA].  BioSpecialists technicians are trained at Amdecon  and certified by ABRA.  Amdecon has become the internationally recognized authority for Biohazard recovery training, techniques and procedures.
4. Verify that the company is certified by the Clean Trust, also known as the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC).  The IICRC sets the standards for cleanliness and restoration.
5. The company should be able to provide certification of blood borne pathogen training.  Technicians working in high risk occupations are required to receive annual training.
6. The technicians should be properly equipped with protective anti-exposure equipment, coveralls, gloves, googles and respirators. They should take clear steps to prevent others from exposure. This would be the first tip-off that the cleaning company may not be qualified.
7. OSHA requires that Material Safety Data Sheets [MSDS] for any and all chemical cleaning solutions be available for inspection on demand by organizations and individuals for the duration of the remediation procedures.  These MSDS cannot be “offsite” at the “home office” but must be on-scene.
8. OSHA further requires all containers of hazardous solutions and chemicals be clearly labeled, and that technicians clearly communicate the presence of hazards to clients as well as coworkers.
9. OSHA further requires that all employees have at their disposal a written exposure control plan. The plan should be up to date and cover any and all chemicals, toxins solutions and biohazards within their purview.
10. The cleaning company that you choose should be fully licensed, insured and bonded to legally transport biological hazards, look for DOT licensure and markings on their trucks.  Ask where and who do they use for disposal?  How is it disposed of, hydroclave, waste autoclave, or  incineration?  Do they have a waste generators license from the DEP? This information can be verified on any state website.
11. Hazardous Materials should be properly containerized in Biosafety packaging.  BioSpecialists provide Level 4 Biosafety containment using BioSeal systems, make certain that the company that you choose can provide equivalent safety measures.  Any contaminants must be sealed, packaged and labeled properly.
12. When the company you selected goes to work, you should expect prompt service.  All the blood and biological and other offensive materials are removed in a timely manner.  Upon completion the premises should be completely clean, dry, and odor free.  Rooms and spaces for example, should be ready to be repainted, wall papered, and new carpet replaced. There should be no evidence of any events taken place in the room or rooms. Often, furniture is cleaned, disinfected and relocated to another space so that work such as cleanup of floor coverings can be conducted without limiting accessibility.
13. The company should explain what materials have been removed and why.  At no time should property be removed outside of a structure without prior notification.  The company should be able to provide a complete inventory of properties. 
14. If soft goods or personal items such a clothing or mementos cannot be decontaminated on location, the vendor should be able provide biosafety containment.  Soft goods, clothing and personal items should never be given or left to be found by anyone when not clearly marked or properly contained. Trash bags are not a safe container for contaminated items which may need to be restored through a specialized restoration company, for example, art, leather goods, internal electronic components.

BioSpecialists were called to service by a daughter that had concerns about C-dif contamination in her parent's home.  The parent was in the hospital and expected to be discharged the next day.

The parent had unknowingly contracted CDIF while in the doctors care at a rehab facility, was discharged and the home became contaminated with the C-dif.  When the parent's health again worsened the parent was re-admitted, diagnosed again with C-dif,  treated successfully for the C-dif infection only to be discharged to again become infected by the C-dif bacteria in the home.  The parent had to be hospitalized yet again.

The daughter and her brother were concerned about the parent getting re-infected while back in the home setting again, and the possibility of this cycle not stopping and so contacted BioSpecialists for help.  A BioSpecialists team was sent to Rhode Island where they completely and thoroughly disinfected the entire occupied space of the home before the parent was discharged back to the dwelling.

This seems to be a common concern for many people that have suffered a health care acquired infection while being treated in a hospital,nursing facility,rehab physicality.  This 99% of the time is covered under home owners insurance. This type of infection is more widespread that most people know. The family members, the daughter and son are credited with having the fore-sight to take this precautionary measure for the sake of the parent's health.

This is one of many calls for this type of service we get almost on a daily basis here at BioSpecialists.  Education and proper disinfection techniques are the key to stopping this type of infection.

Sub-standard companies have been known to hire day laborers and/or inexperinced/not-properly trained individuals. You may find yourself liable if someone is injured on your property.  There have been actual cases of former employees breaking into previously cleaned residences and stealing valuables. Trustworthy staff is the most important aspect of having unattended cleaning crews coming into your house.  At the very least the cleaning company that you select should be licensed, bonded and insured. 

In most states it is illegal for an insurance company to force one to use a specific contractor.  Insurance companies may recommed preferred vendors but they should never pressure a client to use a particular contractor.  Check with your local or state laws and your insurance policy for more information.

BioSpecialists can provide much help in this situation. We are experts in cleanup of an unattended death scene.  One should be aware that there is a potential for contamination by many dangerous pathogens in an unattended death site, and a professional clean up service is strongly recommended.  BioSpecialists is also expert in Hoarding Cleanup,  we often work with real estate attorneys to remediate a property for sale.  We will package and catalog family properties,  nothing of value will be removed.

MRSA is an antibiotic resistant strain of bacteria that is very difficult to treat once someone is infected,  it is a threat that must not be ignored.  Areas, including vehicles that were occupied or soiled by an infected person and things that they handled should be sanitized and thoroughly disinfected. BioSpecialists are experts at decontamination of dangerous contagions such as MRSA.

BioSpecialists can often clean up blood, and in extreme cases we can remove seats, carpets, and disinfect the area. Body shops, automobile detailers or thier personnel are not, under the law approved or trained to have contact with blood or bodily fluids or OPIMS (other potentially infectious materials).  They would also need to be licensed to properly dispose of hazardous materials under the federal or state laws governing Blood Borne Pathogens.

Many States' Attorney General Offices have victims assistance agencies to help with cleanup costs after a violent crime.  If you have insurance they will pay costs beyond the insurance coverage, if you do not have insurance they may cover the full cost.  In Massachusetts contact the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance,  In Maine you may inquire with the Attorney General's Office about the Crime Victims Assistance Program.

While most tragedy scene clean up companies work in good faith and do their best to return crime scenes to their pre-loss condition . Unfortunately, there are some companies who do not.  Here are a few things to expect a Crime Suicide or Trauma Clean Up Company to do.

• Research a cleanup company before you hire them.  See if they are certified by the Better Business Bureau. If they are not certified this my be a warning flag. Verify that a company has been trained by AMDECON and certified by the IICRC.

• You should expect all the blood and biological and other offensive materials are removed in a timely manner without undue noise. You should also want any odors related to the crime scene or trauma scene removed, period.

• Cleanup should include a quiet, orderly, professional demeanor from the crime scene cleaners. They should behave discreetly and their vehicles will not display advertising related to crime scene cleanup. If the cleaners wear uniforms, the uniforms will not reflect anything about crime scene cleanup.

• You should also expect to pay a fair and reasonable price. This said, most insurance companies cover the cost of the services provided.

• Odor removal will also be a part of most trauma scenes and will most likely be treated via ozone (This is not required in all cases but the most severe will require an ozone treatment). This will render the premises odor-free after the treatment is finished.

• If a company charges for each biohazard box removed, they need to explain what goes in these boxes and why. They should also have a limited number of boxes for a cleanup. In most cases the number of boxes will depend on the size of the area and the amount of biological material in this said area. If a company cleans a room 10′ x 10′ and said they used 12 boxes this should be questioned when the only contamination was located on a mattress.

• Do not expect companies to remove materials from rooms that were not affected by the crime or incident. For example, if cleaners begin removing clothing, furnishings, curtains, and other property from adjoining rooms, tell them to stop. The only items that should be relocated are the items located within the incident scene itself. Sometimes the cleaning company will relocate items from one room to another, but never outside the structure unless the items are contaminated and rendered not salvageable under any circumstances due to biological contamination. Any professional service will notify a family member before deeming any item not salvageable.

• In some cases other items must be removed and dry cleaned when odor contamination is a problem. Some companies have portable ozone chambers they will set up on site in these severe cases for odor removal. All of these steps will be under the direction of the family or property owner. So unless agreed on beforehand, no crime scene cleanup company should remove any property unaffected by a crime scene or traumatic event, including property containing the death scene odor.

• As implausible as it may seem, some companies in this business steal belongings from homes. They do not call it “stealing,” they explain it away as removing the “odor” or removing the “bio hazard waste,” none which is true. Any reputable company will be in contact and document the entire dwelling throughout the entire process from start to finish.

• This will not only be on file with the company for any questions as to contents as well as evidence for any ongoing legal situations. These might be served with a subpoena by the police if this is a crime related situation.

• By the time your help leaves, expect all the bio hazard waste, bio waste, and solid waste connected to the crime scene to have been removed. Expect the odor to have been reduced or eliminated.

The cleaning company should complete their task within a day depending on the severity of the contamination. Whenever a day will not do, an experienced cleaner will know once within the crime scene.

You may be exposed to lawsuits and civil action if someone becomes infected with a blood borne pathogen such as hepatitis B,  such diseases have a lifelong debilitating effect on sufferers.

The smallest drops of fluid can be seen on top of carpeting and under the carpeting this area can be 100 times larger. Of course this depends on the amount of time the fluids are allowed to dwell on a surface. Experienced companies know pretty well what extent of damage and limits to damage occurred on the crime scene upon a first inspection on scene. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances make the job more involved in order to render the dwelling safe and odor free.

Most general or house cleaning services personnel are not trained or equipped to handle bio hazardous wastes such as blood or bodily fluids.  Also, the possibility that other hazardous materials may be encountered during the cleanup process is possible.

• It is not mandatory in most states, but it is recommended.

• By using a professional tragedy scene cleanup company such as Bio-Specialists, the likelihood of adding further trauma to the victim or family with the task of cleaning up the aftermath is eliminated.  Infections, pathogens and odor causing bacteria are removed following the strict guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and OSHA.

Yes, but before an employee of your business can legally (and safely) clean up and disinfect blood from the scene of a suicide (or truama scene, accident, blood spill etc.) he or she must meet the guidelines set in Federal Regulation 29CFR1910:1030.  To protect the safety of your employees and customers you should seriously consider hiring a blood clean up and remediation company.

Federal Regulation 29CFR1910:1030

Federal Regulation 29CFR1910:1030 states that no employee can be placed in a position to be exposed to blood spills without first:

• Receiving blood borne pathogen training.

• Having a written blood borne pathogen exposure control plan.

• Having been provided with personal protective equipment.

• Having been offered a Hepatitis B vaccine and exposure evaluation and follow-up.

• Being provided with a method to remove and properly store the bio hazardous waste in a properly marked container for disposal at an approved site.

No.  Police, EMS personnel, medical examiners and funeral directors or their agents do not clean up any trauma, suicide or crime scene. This burden falls to you, the property owner and to hanle all medical waste disposal.