by Jeffrey Stouffer editor
July 19, 2010
A continually evolving and expanding segment of the remediation industry, bio-recovery – better known as “crime scene cleanup” or “trauma cleaning” – has made great strides since it first came into being as an organized segment of the business almost two decades ago. Recently, R&R spoke with Kent Berg, director of the National Institute of Decontamination Specialists and founder of the American Bio-Recovery Association, to get his take on where the industry stands today and where it’s headed in the future.
Restoration & Remediation: Briefly, what falls under the scope of work when people talk about “bio-recovery”?
Kent Berg: Bio-recovery is actually a term that was derived from the words BioHazard Cleanup and Scene Recovery. We chose that term because our industry’s scope of work is actually much broader than cleaning crime scenes. We are often thought of as the guys that will clean up anything that is nasty, repulsive, or gross, so people naturally call us to clean up human feces, animal feces, dead animals – usually rotten ones – and gross filth, as in rotting food, poor hygiene, and piles and piles of garbage. Then there’s the decomposed human body scenes, meth labs, the occasional disease outbreak, and anything else that would cause a normal person to stay a hundred feet away to keep from puking.
R&R: You’ve been part of the bio-recovery profession pretty much since before it became a profession. Since that time, what are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen, both positive and negative?
KB: When I first started, very few people in this business knew anything about cleaning and disinfecting. They just wanted to make the visible contamination go away. No one in the insurance industry had ever heard of a crime scene cleanup company, and many adjusters argued that our services were not covered. Today, the biggest changes have been in our profile. What I mean by that is the public, who had never heard of our services, now see us in TV shows, documentaries, movies, magazines, and newspaper articles. We have recognition now, and families are more aware that these services exist.
Another change has been in the performance of the cleanup itself. We as an industry are much more aware of the antimicrobials we are using, the techniques and knowledge related to home construction, vehicle dismantling, and being able to actually render a property safe on a microscopic level.
R&R: From a purely objective point of view, bio-recovery would seem to be about as “recession-proof” as any remediation specialty out there. There will always be accidents, suicides and other traumas that require a professional remediator. What are some of the pros and cons that come along with that?
KB: We know that our services will always be needed, but with a higher profile, we are seeing more and more companies starting up, and more and more fire/water restoration companies adding this service to their menus. Although the demand for our services is increasing, the individual companies’ call volumes aren’t growing as fast because there is more competition for that finite number of incidents.
The pros are that the public will have resources to respond if they need them, and that companies will have to step up their game in service quality and marketing. The cons are that the majority of these new companies are not attending training, not getting any type of certification beyond a half-day OSHA bloodborne pathogen course. It’s these companies that are dragging the good companies down when the public hears about a company throwing a bloody mattress in a dumpster, etc.
R&R: Since hindsight is 20/20, if there was one thing you would go back and change, as far as how you operated your business, what is it, and what would you do differently?
KB: I would have marketed harder. I assumed that people would need my service and seek me out. That was true for a while, but when competitors popped up with their marketing programs, the public chose who was freshest in their minds. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but one I will never forget.
R&R: Technologically speaking, what areas have seen the greatest advances? Chemicals? PPE? Containment?
KB: One of the advancements has been our recognition as a legitimate industry. Today, vendors of specialty restoration products are targeting our industry. Kimberly-Clark markets their suits with the “Recommended by the American Bio-Recovery Association” seal on them. Other products used in our industry have similar tie-ins with our trade association or at the very least mention in their advertising that their product is great for cleaning crime and trauma scenes. Even the insurance industry no longer recognizes us under their “janitorial service” heading, opting now for a “crime scene cleanup” designation for insurance coverage.
We are also seeing new technology in the form of new disinfectants, odor-remediation technology, and devices to actually measure how clean a surface really is. The National Organization for Victim Assistance is putting on a training program this fall for teaching all interested bio-recovery technicians how to better interact with victims and their families. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has sought out input so they may better understand our industry.
However, I believe the most important advancement for the industry has been the formation of training centers. Legitimate training programs help make sure that any technician who wants to be the best at their profession can attend a school that specializes in that field. By establishing a standard training and certification program, students graduate far ahead of their competitors and benefit from years of experience from seasoned industry professionals, scientists, chemists, and pathologists that helped to design the curriculum.
Jeffrey Stouffer editor
stoufferj@bnpmedia.com
Jeffrey Stouffer is editor of Restoration & Remediation magazine
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
It’s a Living: Biohazard Cleaning Man
Finding a loved one’s body is traumatic enough, Sean Small said. Survivors shouldn’t have to relive the trauma of cleaning up the site as well.
“It’s like a sucker punch, a second hit … You’re in a fog,” said Small, the owner and operator of Yukon, OK-based Trauma Klean. “We, at least, have an emotional disconnect and see it simply as a job that needs to be done. But if it was a family member having to do this? I just cannot imagine.”
Small’s small business focuses on what he described as “a little beyond what you’d imagine as janitorial services. In fact, we’re a lot beyond that.”
There’s no polite way to discuss his job with the squeamish. Small cleans up biohazardous materials that are exposed to the environment during or after a person’s death, such as blood, urine, bile, and internal organs. Depending on the circumstances of death, those materials can infect a large area.
Most people cannot psychologically deal with those elements on a good day, much less in mourning. That’s where Small steps in, with protective gear and specialized industrial cleaning supplies and containment. His service provides both an emotional safety zone and another of health because Small and his small crew keep others from coming into contact with potentially infectious pathogens.
The human body can go through disturbing and sometimes explosive changes after the spirit has passed on, Small said. Internally, bacteria break down tissues and produce gases; externally, vermin may be attracted.
“When you get past the gross aspect of it, body decomposition is actually kind of a neat process. It’s nature doing what it’s supposed to do,” he said.
Small has adapted, of course; nothing fazes him. He said he almost never experiences the gag reflex associated with disgust while he’s in professional mode—the latest involved the memory of a man who was found in his bathroom after about six weeks.
One of his peers said it’s the nonhuman odors that cause the most difficulty, such as cleaning up a hoarder’s home, someone who kept more than 40 cats indoors.
Small was first drawn to the job after seeing it portrayed in police crime television shows such as CSI. The 2007 movie Cleaner, starring Samuel L. Jackson, also featured the profession, while a less savory interpretation appeared in the 1994 movie Pulp Fiction, also starring Jackson and John Travolta.
He’s been at the job for about three years and is still struggling to gain wider market recognition. Trauma Klean is seen primarily as the follow-up service for crime scenes after the police have finished their investigation and a medical examiner has removed the body.
“But a lot of our jobs have nothing to do with crime. Sometimes it’s as simple as an unattended death, someone passing away and it takes several days or weeks before anyone notices,” he said, as was the case with his own father. The body was found by church members.
“Once you get past the grossness, you begin to realize there’s a real need for this,” Small said. “I think that’s what appealed to me the most: the opportunity to help someone get through what I went through.”
Reprinted with permission from The Journal Record. Originally posted January 13, 2010. Photo by Maike Sabolich.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wagoner Co. Gets Its Own Meth Clean Up Crew
An increase in meth production means more trouble for police. First, they must catch the criminals. Then, comes the dirty work of the clean-up.
A meth crime scene is full of toxic chemicals. Sapulpa police busted one just overnight. They say it was inside a detached garage near Mission and Hobson.
Three people were arrested.
The job of removing the chemicals means hours of painstaking work. All across the state, firefighters take their share of meth lab calls. And, how those calls are handled depends on what county those labs are in.
In Sapulpa, firefighters are always on standby when called to meth labs like the one overnight. They're there to put out a fire. For the more dangerous labs, they'd probably send for a special haz mat trailer originally designed for other environmental or chemical emergencies. Now it has another use, occasionally responding to meth labs.
"If there was a release that we needed the truck, we'd take it. All we'd do is until clean up crew arrived."
But Wagoner County is different. They're taking a more hands on approach to meth labs and their cleanups.
"Our deputies in the past have had to handle the trash from the cleanup in their vehicles which is very dangerous for the deputies," says Sheriff Bob Colbert.
But that's all about to change. For meth lab busts, Wagoner County has ordered a specially-equipped truck to handle meth lab cleanups. Two deputies are already trained to remove what they call meth lab trash and they don't have to rely on cities like Tulsa for help.
"Obviously it's a burden on them, the smaller agencies to have to use their clean up crew," Colbert says. "We took it upon ourself to get our clean up crew."
It's a big undertaking and one that many cities and counties don't want. Sapulpa's fire department in fact wants no part in the business of meth lab cleanups.
"We don't want to clean up. That would take too much time from the guys on the truck."
Not to mention the safety issue. But, with meth labs on the rise in Wagoner -- fifty since the beginning of the year -- it's an investment this county is willing to make.
The new meth lab clean up truck costs around 27-thousand dollars. It is supposed to arrive within six weeks.
A meth crime scene is full of toxic chemicals. Sapulpa police busted one just overnight. They say it was inside a detached garage near Mission and Hobson.
Three people were arrested.
The job of removing the chemicals means hours of painstaking work. All across the state, firefighters take their share of meth lab calls. And, how those calls are handled depends on what county those labs are in.
In Sapulpa, firefighters are always on standby when called to meth labs like the one overnight. They're there to put out a fire. For the more dangerous labs, they'd probably send for a special haz mat trailer originally designed for other environmental or chemical emergencies. Now it has another use, occasionally responding to meth labs.
"If there was a release that we needed the truck, we'd take it. All we'd do is until clean up crew arrived."
But Wagoner County is different. They're taking a more hands on approach to meth labs and their cleanups.
"Our deputies in the past have had to handle the trash from the cleanup in their vehicles which is very dangerous for the deputies," says Sheriff Bob Colbert.
But that's all about to change. For meth lab busts, Wagoner County has ordered a specially-equipped truck to handle meth lab cleanups. Two deputies are already trained to remove what they call meth lab trash and they don't have to rely on cities like Tulsa for help.
"Obviously it's a burden on them, the smaller agencies to have to use their clean up crew," Colbert says. "We took it upon ourself to get our clean up crew."
It's a big undertaking and one that many cities and counties don't want. Sapulpa's fire department in fact wants no part in the business of meth lab cleanups.
"We don't want to clean up. That would take too much time from the guys on the truck."
Not to mention the safety issue. But, with meth labs on the rise in Wagoner -- fifty since the beginning of the year -- it's an investment this county is willing to make.
The new meth lab clean up truck costs around 27-thousand dollars. It is supposed to arrive within six weeks.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Crime Scene Leftovers Pose Problem For Sanitation
Call it the Case of the Bloody Mattress.
City sanitation workers in southwestern Kentucky were recently left with the problem of how to dispose of a bloody mattress put out with the trash.
The mattress came from a home where police say a 37-year-old man appears to have died from self-inflicted stab wounds. The problem came when trash collectors realized they couldn't pick up a potential biohazard, but didn't want to leave it by the side of the road in a residential neighborhood in Hopkinsville.
"This was an area of concern for us because blood is considered a biohazard and not only can our trash trucks not pick it up, but it could be dangerous for people in the community," said George Hampton, a route supervisor for Hopkinsville Solid Waste Authority.
The Kentucky New Era reports that the mattress disappeared by midweek, but sanitation officials didn't take it and were still trying to make sure it was properly disposed of. The location of the mattress remained a mystery at week's end.
Hopkinsville sanitation workers received an anonymous call reporting a mattress, possibly covered in blood, that had been set on a curb outside of a home. That was the concern of the anonymous caller, Hampton said, who said children in the neighborhood could start to play on the mattress and come into contact with the dried blood that might have diseases.
Because there was blood on the mattress, sanitation workers couldn't haul it off with the rest of the trash.
"It raises a question for us about where we take it from here," Hampton said. "Someone has to clean up messes like these and we can't do it."
Solid Waste Superintendent Bill Bailey said sanitation workers aren't allowed to pick up possible biohazards, including blood, from the side of the road. Instead, Bailey said, the department needs to call other landfills to see who will pick up and take the items.
"Sometimes we can process and wrap it in plastic and dispose of it that way. But other times we have to contact a company that deals with disposing of medical waste."
Charlotte Write, a spokeswoman for Stericycle, a national company that specializes in medical waste disposal, said medical waste is generally burned to kill pathogens that can live in dried blood.
"It is important to dispose of all medical waste, especially waste that comes from the body, so as not to spread diseases," Write said.
Hopkinsville Police Chief Guy Howie said the families must clean up the scene of a murder or suicide or pay to have it done.
"It doesn't sound very friendly, I know, but that's just how it has to be handled," Howie said. "Someone has to clean it up and someone has to dispose of all of this, it's just a matter of figuring out who. It's amazing that just one mattress on a curb can raise so many questions."
Someone solved sanitation's problem by taking the mattress from in front of the home. Bailey said sanitation workers didn't remove it, but finding out what became of the mattress is important. It had to be properly sterilized and disposed of.
"We can't just stick it in our landfill and be done with it," Bailey said. "Whether it's on that curb or not, it's still hazardous material."
Friday, June 12, 2009
A local man's company helps families clean up after a death
By MATT GLEASON World Scene Writer
Bill Coye met death in the back of an ambulance as a rookie EMT, one who'd left behind life as an assistant chef to save lives at high speeds. But death didn't care that Coye was trying to keep a heart-attack victim alive.
Death simply brushed right by him to leave Coye riding in a glorified hearse.
Later, as Coye's sweat cooled and his adrenaline waned, he noticed something about the dead man: The second hand on his gold-toned watch was still moving.
In that moment, Coye understood, "Time continues and life goes on."
Years later, Coye is now in his mid-40s and serves as a St. Francis trauma/surgical/ICU nurse. He's also the owner of Apex Bioclean, a
local crime and trauma scene cleanup service. So, in a sense, when second hands sweep over the 6 and 12 long after their owners stop breathing, Coye's cell phone rings and it's time to go to work.
Soon after, Coye's unmarked white van arrives on the scene just as it has for the past 2 ? years. Then he makes his way from the front door to where the dead met their end. Sometimes Coye and his crew arrive on scene to clean
up after a lonely, dead body that was ultimately discovered after days or weeks.
Coye's team also gets the call to handle meth lab cleanup.
Then there are the other kinds of jobs, like cleaning up industrial accidents and "pack rat" properties, where Coye once helped recover $150,000-worth of diamonds lost among 12 tons of trash. Heck, Apex will even remove the stench of a dead skunk found beneath a house, or vanquish the overwhelming smell of a moth-ball-laden
attic.
City and state government employees cannot refer any one company to clean up a crime and trauma scene, Coye said, but officials can provide a list of companies — including Apex — to the victim's family. "How traumatic is that?" Coye asked. "No. 1: to lose a family member in such a violent way, whether it be suicide or homicide with a handgun, hanging, whatever the case may be. And then turn around and have to get on your hands and knees with a brush, a mop, a sponge, and have to clean it up. Friends and family are not prepared emotionally, nor are they prepared technically, to handle the situation."
After all, there's a reason why Coye only hires professionals who can withstand cleaning up the aftermath of, say, a father who killed his two children, or a wife who looked her husband right in the eye before pulling the trigger.
COMPASSION
Bill Coye: “There has to be a professional barrier a little bit to function at the level that we do day after day after day. That doesn’t mean we’re not compassionate
by any stretch of the imagination.” "I can take that (professional) and teach them how to clean these properties," Coye said. "I can't take someone who is not involved as a firefighter, a paramedic, a registered nurse, and teach them what they need to know."
Coye has tried hiring outside of those specialties, but ended up with folks who'd seen too many episodes of "CSI." "It winds up being individuals who like crime scene novels, and want the yellow tape and the chalk outline," he said. "The harsh reality is it's a very difficult job. We're in Tyvek suits, masks, gloves and boots. It's hot. We have to deal with heat stress frequently and we have to stay hydrated.
"And the smells involved," he said, then paused for a second. "If you have anything against maggots, this is certainly nothing for you to do,because we see them virtually on every single scene."
Although Coye hires nurses and other professionals, he made an exceptions for his own son, 17-year-old Taylor. But, as Coye said, the kid's a natural.
As for 23-year-old Natasha Henson, she's Coye's right-hand woman. As a certified nurse's aide, she came to Apex understanding the importance of being empathetic — not sympathetic — to the victims' families, Henson said, because she has no idea what it must feel like for a mother, for instance, to walk into a son's bloodied room and wish she hadn't. "When I first started, it was emotionally draining, but you just have to learn how to separate yourself," she said. "You have to look at the
blood and the guts as: 'That's stuff that needs to be removed, and I need to do it. If I don't, (the family) will. And they don't need to see this.'
"
Thinking about everything he's seen on the job, Coye said, "We all have different defense mechanisms. Although, we can't wear these
stories on our sleeves when we're doing the work — we'd never be able to do the next one.
"There has to be a professional barrier a little bit to function at the level that we do day after day after day. That doesn't mean we're not
compassionate by any stretch of the imagination."
Actually, that compassion carries over to not charging the families of homicide victims.
The man who knows how to get blood spatters out of a wedding dress hung in a victim's closet said, "There is an opportunity for us to
extend our professional services and be a resource for the community."
Not long ago, Coye sat at his dining room table when his cell phone rang.
"Apex Bioclean, this is Bill," he said to the funeral director on the other end of the line.
While Coye jotted notes on a flower company flier, he used his ink pen to direct a visitor's attention to one word: suicide.
Then somewhere in Oklahoma, a second hand swept over the face of a clock as the dead woman's loved ones waited for someone to
wash away tangible reminders of a very bad day.
To visit Apex Bioclean online, visit www.tulsaworld.com/apexbioclean.
Bill Coye met death in the back of an ambulance as a rookie EMT, one who'd left behind life as an assistant chef to save lives at high speeds. But death didn't care that Coye was trying to keep a heart-attack victim alive.
Death simply brushed right by him to leave Coye riding in a glorified hearse.
Later, as Coye's sweat cooled and his adrenaline waned, he noticed something about the dead man: The second hand on his gold-toned watch was still moving.
In that moment, Coye understood, "Time continues and life goes on."
Years later, Coye is now in his mid-40s and serves as a St. Francis trauma/surgical/ICU nurse. He's also the owner of Apex Bioclean, a
local crime and trauma scene cleanup service. So, in a sense, when second hands sweep over the 6 and 12 long after their owners stop breathing, Coye's cell phone rings and it's time to go to work.
Soon after, Coye's unmarked white van arrives on the scene just as it has for the past 2 ? years. Then he makes his way from the front door to where the dead met their end. Sometimes Coye and his crew arrive on scene to clean
up after a lonely, dead body that was ultimately discovered after days or weeks.
Coye's team also gets the call to handle meth lab cleanup.
Then there are the other kinds of jobs, like cleaning up industrial accidents and "pack rat" properties, where Coye once helped recover $150,000-worth of diamonds lost among 12 tons of trash. Heck, Apex will even remove the stench of a dead skunk found beneath a house, or vanquish the overwhelming smell of a moth-ball-laden
attic.
City and state government employees cannot refer any one company to clean up a crime and trauma scene, Coye said, but officials can provide a list of companies — including Apex — to the victim's family. "How traumatic is that?" Coye asked. "No. 1: to lose a family member in such a violent way, whether it be suicide or homicide with a handgun, hanging, whatever the case may be. And then turn around and have to get on your hands and knees with a brush, a mop, a sponge, and have to clean it up. Friends and family are not prepared emotionally, nor are they prepared technically, to handle the situation."
After all, there's a reason why Coye only hires professionals who can withstand cleaning up the aftermath of, say, a father who killed his two children, or a wife who looked her husband right in the eye before pulling the trigger.
COMPASSION
Bill Coye: “There has to be a professional barrier a little bit to function at the level that we do day after day after day. That doesn’t mean we’re not compassionate
by any stretch of the imagination.” "I can take that (professional) and teach them how to clean these properties," Coye said. "I can't take someone who is not involved as a firefighter, a paramedic, a registered nurse, and teach them what they need to know."
Coye has tried hiring outside of those specialties, but ended up with folks who'd seen too many episodes of "CSI." "It winds up being individuals who like crime scene novels, and want the yellow tape and the chalk outline," he said. "The harsh reality is it's a very difficult job. We're in Tyvek suits, masks, gloves and boots. It's hot. We have to deal with heat stress frequently and we have to stay hydrated.
"And the smells involved," he said, then paused for a second. "If you have anything against maggots, this is certainly nothing for you to do,because we see them virtually on every single scene."
Although Coye hires nurses and other professionals, he made an exceptions for his own son, 17-year-old Taylor. But, as Coye said, the kid's a natural.
As for 23-year-old Natasha Henson, she's Coye's right-hand woman. As a certified nurse's aide, she came to Apex understanding the importance of being empathetic — not sympathetic — to the victims' families, Henson said, because she has no idea what it must feel like for a mother, for instance, to walk into a son's bloodied room and wish she hadn't. "When I first started, it was emotionally draining, but you just have to learn how to separate yourself," she said. "You have to look at the
blood and the guts as: 'That's stuff that needs to be removed, and I need to do it. If I don't, (the family) will. And they don't need to see this.'
"
Thinking about everything he's seen on the job, Coye said, "We all have different defense mechanisms. Although, we can't wear these
stories on our sleeves when we're doing the work — we'd never be able to do the next one.
"There has to be a professional barrier a little bit to function at the level that we do day after day after day. That doesn't mean we're not
compassionate by any stretch of the imagination."
Actually, that compassion carries over to not charging the families of homicide victims.
The man who knows how to get blood spatters out of a wedding dress hung in a victim's closet said, "There is an opportunity for us to
extend our professional services and be a resource for the community."
Not long ago, Coye sat at his dining room table when his cell phone rang.
"Apex Bioclean, this is Bill," he said to the funeral director on the other end of the line.
While Coye jotted notes on a flower company flier, he used his ink pen to direct a visitor's attention to one word: suicide.
Then somewhere in Oklahoma, a second hand swept over the face of a clock as the dead woman's loved ones waited for someone to
wash away tangible reminders of a very bad day.
To visit Apex Bioclean online, visit www.tulsaworld.com/apexbioclean.
Cleaning up after Crime
Once detectives leave and the crime scene tape comes down, families are left to
clean up if a loved one is murdered or commits suicide. Now APEX BioClean LLC is
prepared to step in to help.
Owner Bill Coye founded APEX BioClean LLC in November 2005. A medical
professional for 16 years, working both as a critical care nurse and paramedic.
Coye has responded to hundreds of crime scenes and witnessed first hand the
grief and trauma families experience following such a tragedy. With the rise in
violent crime and suicides, Coye concluded there is a serious need for a professional service to help victims.
“Losing a loved one is very difficult but having to clean up after a tragedy is like being victimized twice. Many people
believe that police or paramedics clean up after a traumatic event. The truth is that friends and family have been the
ones to bear this burden,” explains Coye.
Coye says not only can it be traumatic, but crime scenes also pose a big health risk as they often involve potentially
hazardous substances.
“A body that has decomposed over days or weeks represents a real danger to clean up to anyone other than a
professional biohazard cleanup service. The mess, as well as the smell, can be overwhelming. Blood borne pathogens,
HIV, Hepatitis A. B and C to name a few, are a very real threat and need to be handled by a professional such as Apex to
ensure proper removal and disposal. The Centers for Disease Control website lists 28 diseases that can be contracted
while in the hospital. Just think of what can grow after a week or two on the scene of a human decomposition,” explains
Coye.
He says that is why it’s crucial that a trained professional cleans up after the scene of a crime or unforeseen death. When
a private citizen takes on the responsibility, it can create a health risk for the public.
“Where does the human tissue, bloody bedding and carpet go after a gunshot suicide? the trash can or dumpster. Kids
love to play around dumpsters. There are blood borne pathogens that can live for weeks outside of the body. A
professional biohazard cleanup service must be used to ensure proper cleaning, removal and disposal of all contaminated
materials,” explains Coye.
Federal OSHA regulations state that all blood and bodily fluids must be treated as contaminated. The staff of APEX
BioClean brings years of medical experience to each one of these scenes. The company is compliant with all OSHA
guidelines and all disinfectants have received FDA approval.
Bill Coye has received the most comprehensive training and all staff is certified in biohazard decontamination. APEX
BioClean LLC is listed as a certified company with the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration.
The mission of APEX BioClean LLC is to provide a safe, professional and compassionate service to families.
“Not one family member should have to clean up after a violent or unforeseen death. Our clients are treated with the
dignity and respect they deserve,” added Coye.
Print
clean up if a loved one is murdered or commits suicide. Now APEX BioClean LLC is
prepared to step in to help.
Owner Bill Coye founded APEX BioClean LLC in November 2005. A medical
professional for 16 years, working both as a critical care nurse and paramedic.
Coye has responded to hundreds of crime scenes and witnessed first hand the
grief and trauma families experience following such a tragedy. With the rise in
violent crime and suicides, Coye concluded there is a serious need for a professional service to help victims.
“Losing a loved one is very difficult but having to clean up after a tragedy is like being victimized twice. Many people
believe that police or paramedics clean up after a traumatic event. The truth is that friends and family have been the
ones to bear this burden,” explains Coye.
Coye says not only can it be traumatic, but crime scenes also pose a big health risk as they often involve potentially
hazardous substances.
“A body that has decomposed over days or weeks represents a real danger to clean up to anyone other than a
professional biohazard cleanup service. The mess, as well as the smell, can be overwhelming. Blood borne pathogens,
HIV, Hepatitis A. B and C to name a few, are a very real threat and need to be handled by a professional such as Apex to
ensure proper removal and disposal. The Centers for Disease Control website lists 28 diseases that can be contracted
while in the hospital. Just think of what can grow after a week or two on the scene of a human decomposition,” explains
Coye.
He says that is why it’s crucial that a trained professional cleans up after the scene of a crime or unforeseen death. When
a private citizen takes on the responsibility, it can create a health risk for the public.
“Where does the human tissue, bloody bedding and carpet go after a gunshot suicide? the trash can or dumpster. Kids
love to play around dumpsters. There are blood borne pathogens that can live for weeks outside of the body. A
professional biohazard cleanup service must be used to ensure proper cleaning, removal and disposal of all contaminated
materials,” explains Coye.
Federal OSHA regulations state that all blood and bodily fluids must be treated as contaminated. The staff of APEX
BioClean brings years of medical experience to each one of these scenes. The company is compliant with all OSHA
guidelines and all disinfectants have received FDA approval.
Bill Coye has received the most comprehensive training and all staff is certified in biohazard decontamination. APEX
BioClean LLC is listed as a certified company with the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration.
The mission of APEX BioClean LLC is to provide a safe, professional and compassionate service to families.
“Not one family member should have to clean up after a violent or unforeseen death. Our clients are treated with the
dignity and respect they deserve,” added Coye.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Cleaning Up A Crime Scene
Family members have plenty to deal with when a loved one is killed, but when police finish investigating a crime scene someone has to clean it up.
Natasha Henson is a nurse technician by day. At night, she is a crime scene cleaner for Apex BioClean. Natasha will clean up a scene where someone was the victim of a deadly crime. Natasha Henson admits it is a difficult job, physically and emotionally.
”No one should be traumatized twice. So meaning, brother goes in to his room and kills himself. His mother shouldn't have to clean him up. That's where we come in," says Natasha Henson.
By the time Natasha is called in to clean, police have finished their work. The body is gone, but all remnants of the crime must be cleaned.
"Just the glossy light color, but it still has the little bit of a red tinge. But it still looks like spinal fluid. That's exactly what it looks like," says Natasha Henson.
She says the area that needs cleaning depends on the size of the contaminated area.
"The bullet goes in. If it comes out, it splatters everywhere. Ceilings, into other rooms, into drawers, anything that's open,” says Natasha Henson.
Natasha dresses in a full body suit, protecting her eyes, hands and mouth.
Once carpets are pulled out, a special vacuum sucks up what is left over. Then, the floor is scrubbed. Everything used in the process is tossed in a biohazard bin and destroyed.
Natasha Henson says hopefully, all the memories of what happened will go away, too.
Cost of a crime scene cleanup depends on how much work has to be done.
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