Safety Gear when cleaning crime scenes

After the occurrence of a murder or other violent crimes, the investigators and police do not have a special unit that come to clean up the crime scene. Some departments may work with the crime scene cleaning services and may be able to offer referrals, but, the onus of cleaning the scene properly falls to the owner of the property or the family of the deceased.

A lot of crimes that require cleaning happens in the home, which leaves cleaning to the relative of the deceased. But if the crime happens in a home that is rented or a business place, then it is the responsibility of the property owner to clean up the scene. If the crime takes place on a public property, the local authorities or state that maintains the property is responsible for handling the cleanup.

The Proper Tools for Crime Scene Clean Up

It is not advisable to let a novice handle crime scene and blood cleanup. Bodily fluids are classified as hazardous materials and require special methods, equipment, and disposal so as to protect the people doing the cleaning and the general public.

Equipment commonly used by professionals to clean up a crime scenes include:

Personal protective equipment: the personal protective equipment or PPE used by professional crime scene cleaners include; chemical spill boots, protective suit, disposable non-porous gloves and filtered respirators. A lot of these equipment are designed to be used once and then disposed of in special hazardous waste containers after the job is done.

Biohazard Disposal Containers: These could be heavy duty hazmat bags or solid plastic containers that can be sealed to contain health hazards.

Cleaning Supplies: Buckets, cleaning clothes, traditional mops, sponges. All cleaning supplies must be disposed of after use.

Disinfectant Solutions: This includes peroxide and bleach.

Industrial Strength Deodorizers: These are of various types, and they can be used in a fogger machine. Ozone machines are also used to deodorize the area.

Solvents: Enzyme solvents are used to disinfect and re-liquefy blood that is dried.

Shovels: These are used to shovel bodily fluids that have coagulated into bags. Also used in notable outdoor suicide cleanups, such as the Suicide Forest in Japan.

Putty Knives: These are used to remove organic materials from surfaces that are hard.

Razor Blades or Box Cutters: Upholstery or saturated carpeting must be cut away and removed. It cannot be effectively cleaned if it is not removed.

Long Reach Cleaning Brushes and Ladders: This is used to reach ceilings and high walls.

Professional crime scene cleaners usually use a camera before and after cleanups for the purpose of insurance. They are also required to maintain up to date vaccinations against infections like Hepatitis-B.

Call The Professionals

If you are in NY and you need crime scene clean up services, contact Suicide Cleanup, the number one company for crime scene and hazardous waste cleanup in New York. Don’t risk your health by doing it on your own. Contact us now.