Biohazards are materials that contain biological substances that pose a threat to human health or life. It could be blood, saliva, medical waste or animal waste. Biohazard cleaning requires a lot of caution to prevent infections. Below is a guide on how to conduct biohazard cleaning.
What To Do After Biohazard Contamination
Your health should be your primary concern when a biohazard contamination occurs. Ideally, you should avoid coming into contact with hazardous materials. If you have, do not touch vital organs such as your nose, eyes or mouth. If you can, clean your body with disinfectants. Lock the room and shut off the HVAC system to stop the spread of airborne viruses and toxins.
If the contamination has happened at your workplace (say you work in a hospital or laboratory), follow the recommended emergency protocol. Such areas will have emergency alarms that warn other people in the area of biohazard contamination. Once the alarm goes off, a team will respond to the emergency. If it happens in your home or any other uncontrolled environment, dial emergency numbers to local hospitals or police. They will know the best way to handle the emergency.
Biohazard Cleaning Tips
Experts responding to the biohazard contamination will conduct a quick assessment to determine what they are dealing with. Some types of contamination, such as Ebola, COVID-19, or Marburg viruses, are easy to detect. If this is the case, the experts will take immediate measures to prevent the spread of the virus. If you have come into contact with blood that you cannot ascertain whether it is contaminated or not, the experts will take you into quarantine and conduct quick tests to know whether you have any disease. They will also test the blood you came into contact with to determine if it had any pathogens.
The biohazard cleaning process involves:
- The experts will wear personal protective clothing such as gloves, overalls, boots and approved respirators to protect themselves from contamination
- Sealing off the contaminated area with appropriate plastic sheeting to prevent the spread of pathogens
- Collection of all contaminated materials. They could be incinerated or buried depending on the pathogens they contain
- Cleaning the room with appropriate agents and disinfectants. Hot water could also be used
- After cleaning, the team will conduct tests to ensure the room does not have any traces of the biohazard
When hiring a biohazard cleaning company, assess their experience and specialisation. Besides, the cleaning team should have adequate insurance coverage. They should also give guarantees.
To learn more or to get help, contact a local biohazard cleaning service.
