Commercial Biohazard Cleaning
Biohazards are biological materials that can threaten the health of living creatures through exposure. Biohazards are everywhere and include blood and other bodily fluids, germs, some chemicals, and diseases.
Biohazards exist in a commercial setting too, and not just from businesses that work with chemicals, or laboratory settings. Workplace accidents can contaminate spaces with bodily fluids that need to be cleaned and disposed of in a safe way to protect other workers. Outbreaks of illness in the workplace may also require biohazard remediation services.
Examples of Biohazards
Biohazards can include:
Blood and blood products
Bodily fluids
Animal waste
Sharps waste
Some chemicals
Microbiological waste
CDC Biohazard Safety Levels
To help categorize different biocontainment issues the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has identified four different levels that describe the risk to both the public and the cleanup crew.
Level 1: Level 1 is the lowest threat level and refers to contaminants that are of a minor thread to humans such as E. Coli.
Level 2: Level 2 refers to hazards that may cause severe illness and can also be transmitted through contact. HIV is an example of a level 2 threat.
Level 3: Level 3 encompasses pathogens that are able to become airborne and pose a risk to life. Tuberculosis is an example of a level 3 hazard.
Level 4: Level 4 also includes pathogens. However, exposure to these is much more likely to result in further cases and death. There are commonly no effective treatments for level 4 hazards which include the Ebola Virus.
Diseases Commonly Spread by Bodily Fluids
There are two diseases that are most easily transmitted through contact and exposure to bodily fluids.
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis B
Why Commercial Biohazard Cleaning is Important
Commercial spaces such as places of work must have correct containment procedures in place for bodily fluids and ensuing bodily fluid cleanup. The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (2002) both outline measures that employers and businesses must take to safeguard their staff, both in regards to preventing biohazards and dealing with them correctly should they occur.
Incidents that involve biohazards must be reported, and a procedure must be in place for this. There should be a health and safety plan which outlines what to do in the eventuality of biohazards in the workplace and biohazard exposure that should include how the company intends to disinfect and remediate contamination sites.
Responsibility for this lies with the person who owns the premises. The property owner should never delay in calling a professional remediation team, because bacteria can multiply rapidly, and workers accessing the space may become contaminated and spread this contamination to others. When left, bodily fluids may seep into porous materials, even those which seem not to be porous, which can pose a long-term risk to health and make cleaning far more challenging. This is why professional containment, cleaning, and disinfection is needed.
