Work Around Blood And Waste
We mentioned this before and we will say it again as a crime scene cleaner, you will be handling blood, dead bodies, body parts, and even human waste. While crime scenes vary, theyre not only messy but likely reek of decomposition. Keep in mind, you may feel sick when you first start the job. That is completely normal. As you get used to the job, youll be able to control your nausea better.
You can also find ways to suppress your sickness before you start cleaning. In addition, most become desensitized to the job. For example, if strong smells bother you, youll likely become used to them after several months.
Archangels Provides Prompt Service
Recognizing that families, property owners, government agencies and businesses need to return to some sense of normalcy as quickly as possible, ArchAngels will provide prompt, discreet and professional trauma and crime scene clean up services that will ensure that the property owner is guaranteed the highest level of sanitation and that there is no risk to future occupants of exposure to blood or other potential infectious or hazardous material.
In Popular Culture And The Media
Crime scene cleanup as a profession has been featured sporadically in popular culture and the media. It first showed up in films when Quentin Tarantino produced Curdled, and later in films such as the Samuel L. Jackson film Cleaner, and the Amy Adams and Emily Blunt film Sunshine Cleaning. On television it has been featured in a smattering of documentaries aired on the National Geographic Channel and the Discovery Channel, as well as reality series such as Grim Sweepers. The Korean drama series Move to Heaven follows a pair of cleaners who also examine the lives of the deceased they are hired to clean up after through the collection of their personal belongings.
In print and online, the task has been the subject of Alan Emmins’ book Mop Men: Inside the World of Crime Scene Cleaners, and in a piece on “six figure jobs” that appeared on CNN. Another book is Aftermath, Inc.: Cleaning Up after CSI Goes Home. An extensive article on all aspects of crime scene cleanup was published in the forensic science section of Discovery’s How Stuff Works.
Some fictional depictions show crime scene clean-up involving criminal organizations. Crime fiction sometimes refers to the term “cleaner” as an expert in the destruction and removal of evidence, usually working for criminals. For example, if a murder has been committed, a cleaner is contracted to completely remove all traces of the crime as if it never happened.
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Whos Responsible For Crime Scene Cleaning
You may be shocked to find out that the clean up of a crime scene is the sole responsibility of the property owner. If the property owner is the deceased, then responsibility falls to the next of kin. Most people think its the responsibility of police or paramedics but they are mistaken. It is actually the responsibility of the property owner whether it be a home or commercial building. If the owner is deceased the responsibility falls on the next of kin. Your insurance may provide some type of coverage or assistance with this cleanup so be sure to reach out to them. Also if a crime or death has occurred its important to call your local emergency services regardless as they will need to inspect the area before any cleaning can occur.
The Man Who Cleans Up Blood After Murders
Mexico has one of the highest murder rates in the world, but who cleans up the blood at the crime scene when the police and investigators have left? Donovan Tavera is Mexico’s first forensic cleaner. As he explains here, his fascination with blood began as a young boy.
What happens to the blood after a murder? The question haunted me for years, until I answered it myself.
The first time I saw a dead body was when I was 12 years old. Early one morning we heard that somebody had died on the street outside our block of flats. We went out to look. There were clear signs of violence. The man didn’t have a shirt. I was struck by the streams of blood going down the street. But I didn’t feel scared – I was just very curious. And that’s how my fascination with blood began.
As well as us bystanders there were police officers and investigators. I kept waiting for someone to come and clean up the blood, but no-one came. Some of the blood even ran towards our building and my mother washed it away with water.
I asked her: “Who cleans the blood after a murder?” I asked her so many questions that day.
When my father came home from work I asked him too: “What happens to the blood after a murder? How do you clean it up?” I kept asking about it for days, until he said, “Please stop talking about this. Enough!”
When I was about 17 I started experimenting. I went to the butcher and bought cow’s liver and bones and then at home I would investigate how to clean up the blood.
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Each Day Is Different
Everything used in the cleaning process has to be thrown away in specialised bins.
I always think about how my services have helped the families so they donât have to deal with it.
âIt all goes into clinical waste bins including the biowaste, our suits, gloves, eyewear and mops ⦠it all gets thrown away,â Ms Farry said.
She said the smell could sometimes be overwhelming depending on the weather conditions.
âIf itâs a hot day and the room has been closed up ⦠itâs really bad,â Ms Farry said.
Mr Bobridge said each day was different, as every scene the team confronted was different.
He said there had been situations that have stayed with him longer than others.
âWe did a job at Maroochydore and he was a 42-year-old man who was a drug addict and he died horrifically,â Mr Bobridge said.
âThe whole house looked like a violent crime scene and the police said to the family, âdo not enterâ.
âWhen you see the photos on the wall and you see the fella, you see photos of his kids in better days, it makes you ask questions ⦠why?â
Fact #: Blood Borne Pathogens Taint Human Health
Blood Borne Pathogens Taint Human Health
As mentioned, it is estimated that 1 out of every 24 people are plagued with the hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV virus at any given time. When an individual with an infection of this type dies, the pathogens for these diseases continue to survive.
Exposure to these blood borne pathogens can result from direct contact, accidental mishaps due to biological fragments, inhalation and even splashes of blood or bodily fluid that can enter through ones eyes, mouth and nose.
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Who Cleans Up Blood At A Crime Scene
Whilst many believe you can simply wipe the blood and the dangers will disappear, this is not the case. Even the strongest commercial detergents cannot rid such harmful bloodborne pathogens. Only the latest cleaning technology and techniques will prove successful in removing all traces of blood and creating a safe environment for the public.
There are a variety of bloodborne pathogens that can live for extended amounts of time outside of the body:
- Hepatitis C: 4 days
- Hepatitis B: 7 days
Timing is everything. Materials may incur permanent stains or damage if all traces of blood are not removed within a specific period of time. Porous materials such as rugs, carpets, curtains, tiles, wood, drywall and wallpaper will not only discolour but may become structurally weak, accelerating the deterioration process. If stains become permanent, items may have to be discarded due to health risks. Biohazards, such as bloodborne pathogens, should not be treated lightly they have the potential to cause long-term health consequences.
When our experienced technicians attend a crime scene, they will evaluate the area and record any items they believe may have to be thrown away. A more in-depth analysis of the items will take place once they have been removed from the affected site.
What Do I Do If We Have An Emergency Due To A Death Or Trauma
First, if this is a crime or accident, call 911 to report the situation and find safety. Now once the initial crime scene or accident has been addressed by the autorities and the coroner’s office or ambulance has been called to remove the body , you can start to think about what to do to get things moving back to a normal state. The clean up of an accident, death or crime is a lot to handle so call us to start the process of cleaning things up for you. Call us and be ready to give us the address, who we can expect to meet, the situation and insurance company and policy if you have it. We can be on our way depending on the situation but we can not start until the scene is released from the police. Let us help you, we will take care of it so that you don’t have to.
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How Crime Scene Professionals Work
- Training. While there is no single agency that regulates training for biohazard remediation, crime scene technicians are trained and certified in bloodborne pathogen and chemical exposure. Aftermaths technicians are also licensed to work in all 50 states and adhere to all local regulations.
- PPE. All technicians wear personal protective equipment, including a double layer of gloves, respiratory gear, and biohazard suits designed specifically for bioremediation.
- Cross contamination prevention. Technicians establish 3 zones using plastic sheeting and bio-tape. This separates contaminated areas from other parts of the building.
- Disinfection. Technicians carefully clean the area with proprietary cleaning agents and then test surfaces to detect if any living organisms have survived. Once the cleaning process is complete, they make sure ATP levels are at 0 before considering the scene clean.
- Proper disposal of biohazardous material. Once the crime scene cleanup is complete, bioremediation specialists take all biohazardous materials to an approved biohazard disposal site in specially marked biohazard containers.
Hours Of Physical Labor
The crime scene cleaner role is different from your average cleaning job. On average, youll be spending 9-10 hours cleaning one site. The role also often involves heavy physical labor which is why most companies require you to be able to lift at least 50 pounds with ease.
Keep in mind, not every crime scene is extremely intense. Most of your tasks will consist of cleaning carpets, scrubbing walls, cleaning furniture, and airing out strong smells. Understand that youll likely be cleaning blood, body parts, and maybe even other foul bodily fluids. The goal of a crime scene cleaner is to make the crime scene look impeccable so people can live and work in that location again.
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So You Want To Be A Crime Scene Cleaner
Are you interested in pursuing forensic jobs and have a strong stomach? Dont mind potentially cleaning blood, guts, and other body parts? Crime scene cleaners are always in demand and this is a great way to get your foot in the door! Even though the FBI reports that violent crime is on the decline, these crimes still unfortunately occur, and our biohazard cleanup services apply to accidental deaths as well.
After the crime scene, professionals need to clean and disinfect the area to ensure there are no signs of the crime left. Heres how to become a crime scene cleaner, including the necessary skills, qualifications, and training. In addition, we will discuss some facts about the job to ensure its the right gig for you.
Whats The Difference Between A Crime Scene Cleaner And A Regular Cleaner
Regular cleaners do not need specialised skills, equipment, or mental preparation before undertaking a cleaning task. Due to biohazards present at a crime scene clean up, crime scene cleaners need to know how to work in these dangerous situations while using protective equipment and specialised tools. They will also need to sanitise and disinfect the area using the correct steps and techniques in order to complete their cleaning tasks successfully.
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They Arent Limited To Crime Scenes
The phrase crime scene cleanup brings to mind police tape and furrow-browed detectives. In reality, only a fraction of the calls these companies receiveâwhich can come from family members, property managers, hotel owners, or anyone with a dead body on their propertyâare the result of a major crime. Unattended natural death and suicide are the most common scenarios. Glenn Cox, general manager at Southern Bio-Recovery, which has four locations in the Southeast, says that only about 30 percent of the 60 to 100 death scenes his company handles every year are homicides.
To pay the bills, its common for companies to supplement with other kinds of biohazard removal, whether thats removing tear gas from a property after its been used by law enforcement or getting rid of meth labs. Cox says that Southern Bio-Recovery also cleans up hoarding situations and decontaminates homes after viral or bacterial incidentsâthink MRSA or hepatitis outbreaks.
I Clean Up Crime Scenes For A Living This Is What I See
While growing up in Tampa, Florida, I always wanted to work in law enforcement. My father was a police officer and I planned to follow the same path. So, when I left college in 1997, I joined the Kansas City Police Department.
Working in law enforcement was exciting. It was great doing something different everyday. I worked in a city with a high rate of violent crime, so I saw plenty of crime scenes. I had only been out of the police academy for a week or two when I saw my first dead body.
I was with my field training officer and saw a deceased male lying in a hotel bed. He had already been there a while and had bloated due to gasses which had been produced inside his body.
I had come from a pretty sheltered background and I wanted to experience the harsh realities of the job during my police training. So being exposed to a crime scene was exciting.
I worked for the department for several years before I had my lightbulb moment. I was visiting the scene of a homicide case when the mother of the deceased asked me when the police would be coming back to clean up the house. I had never been asked that question before.
When I told her that we wouldnt be returning, she asked who would. I had no idea. Considering all the homicides I had investigated throughout my career, I found it shocking I didnt know the answer.
Theres no way to ease into biohazard cleaning, but this was a big job. It took me around two and a half days to complete the clean-up.
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The Fact That They’re Helping People Makes It Worthwhile
If there was a common thread in all the conversations we conducted with crime scene cleaners, it was the immense satisfaction they take from their jobs. Despite the smells, the gore, and the grief, these individuals find great reward in the help theyâre able to provide to others in their hour of darkness. âWhen I have a family member whoâs just lost a loved one give me that hugâbecause they could not have done this for themselvesâthere is no greater satisfaction in my life,â Michel says. âIf I were to die tomorrow, that would be one of the greatest things I’ve ever been a part of. You can’t describe in words. The only way I can say is, it’s the beat of another human being’s heart against yours, thanking you for helping them on the worst day of their lives.”
What Kind Of Training/experience Is Needed
Specialised crime scene cleaners will often have to develop and gain experience in the following areas:
- Biorecovery training crime scene cleaners need to learn how to safely handle dangerous biohazards, what specialist equipment and chemicals to use in order to clean up biohazards, and how to safely dispose of these biohazards so they no longer pose a threat to others. Forensic cleaners also need to learn how to identify contaminated areas and establish the parameters for a safe working space. The objective of crime scene cleaners is to be able to effectively clean, sanitise and disinfect contaminated areas and restore them to a safe and habitable state once more.
- Physically demanding work A crime scene cleaning workday can vary but is generally between 7-10 hours a day. Cleaning up a crime scene can be a very physically demanding task especially when hauling around tools and equipment while wearing a hazmat suit.
- Mental toughness crime scene cleaners need to develop psychological resilience and the ability to carry out their tasks despite being exposed to some distressing and challenging situations that would be considered difficult for most people to be exposed to.
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Crime Scene Cleanup Done Right
A crime scene can involve homicide, suicide, assault, and other actions that often lead to blood, body fluids and even death. But what happens when a situation normally found only on your TV screen comes to life? The results are much more intense than even the most dramatic show on network television because it touches your life, your property and everyone you hold dear.
Suicide Cleanup is a professional Crime Scene Cleanup Company that offers our Certified Sanitation Services throughout the United States. After the law enforcement personnel, investigators and forensic scientists leave, the location of the crime is still covered in the evidence and left for the victims grieving family or the property owner. If youre in this situation, contact us for help!