TRAUMA & ACCIDENT CLEANING


Unarmed And Dangerous


The BDMA explain why following strict cleaning procedures is vital to the safety of the public as well as operatives, when approaching trauma clean-ups.


‘ T rauma scene’ is a term that is widely used and is often assumed to relate specically to dramatic scenarios such as crime scenes, accidents or maj or incidents n terms of cleaning and damage management howev er, this assumption can b e misleading and can result in the need for specialist trauma cleaning procedures b eing ov erlooked in less spectacular situations


P rofessional damage management practitioners will b e aware that trauma scene procedures should b e followed in any situation where pathogenic substances are present, ie sub stances that can cause disease or infection in living organisms leaning, decontamination and restoration in these circumstances is referred to as Biohaard emediation


A numb er of insurers now recognise


b iohaz ard remediation as a distinct element, requiring specialised knowledge and procedures that fall outside of standard recov ery and restoration activity


A Specific Discipline


I t is increasingly acknowledged that individuals ualied to undertake this type of work will hav e particular skills, which are required to mitigate and resolve the associated risks


Biohaz ards, in the contex t of trauma scene cleaning and restoration, will most commonly originate from ex posure to human or animal b odily fluids hese can be present in a numb er of circumstances ranging from ob v ious scenarios such as crime scenes inv olv ing residues of blood and other fluids, an unattended


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or undiscov ered death, premises containing drug paraphernalia or medical waste and so on, to seemingly innocuous situations where a b iohaz ard risk may not b e immediately apparent


I t is not always realised that the age of an incident does not necessarily indicate the likely lev el of risk, so it should not b e assumed that an area is free of any haz ard b ecause it has been undisturbed for a hile t is true that many b acteria and v iruses will only surv iv e for a short time outside of the b ody or a hab itat in which they thriv e, howev er some may prosper and proliferate ov er a surprisingly long period epatitis B, for example, can surv iv e for up to two weeks on dried b lood, and b acteria in v omit and faeces can flourish if left in situ


I f b iohaz ards are present or suspected, the lev el of risk they may represent should be identied during the rst site visit by the contractor, when risk assessments, triage and stabilisation are undertaken t this point, samples may b e sent for analysis to verify or uantify the risk nce biohaards are conrmed, it is essential that ualied personnel are engaged to manage this aspect of the cleaning and restoration


A Professional Approach To Hazards


T he nature of trauma scenes, or


b iohaz ard scenarios means that those dealing with the cleaning and restoration of affected premises need to b e fully alert to the potential risks to themselv es and others, and should


have undergone specic training in order to prov ide appropriate, safe and effective outcomes


I n addition to understanding some of the ‘ science’ related to b iohaz ard remediation, including identication, analysis, protection and treatment, technicians will need to b e aware of the correct procedures for the remov al and disposal of affected items and materials together with any applicab le legal and reporting reuirements hey ill need to have access to the appropriate equipment and products including P P E , and b e ab le to formally document all actions taken throughout the process


A trauma scene or b iohaz ard clean up can b e a time-consuming and potentially costly process, requiring expert attention his ill ensure that the necessary work is carried out correctly, efciently, legally and most importantly safely, thereb y av oiding any unnecessary complications


F ailure to recognise or address the need for b iohaz ard remediation can lead to unwanted and potentially serious conseuences t should never be dismissed, or classied as accidental damage cov ered b y standard cleaning and restoration protocols


F ortunately, with greater awareness of the principles of professional damage management, this distinction is now more idely understood


www.b dma.org.uk


www.tomorrowscleaning.com


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