With a new infectious disease in the United States, biohazard or hazmat cleanup is going to be much more in high demand. In recent news, Ebola has traveled to the United States, and a man with the disease has perished. But, who is in charge of cleaning up after this deadly disease? Would you call a team of restoration experts that can perform trauma scene cleanup? Or would you call a specialized hazmat company?
The answer to that is that a specialized biohazard cleanup team should be contacted. Ebola is a blood borne pathogen and is spread through contact with blood or any other bodily fluids. This means that anything that the man has touched or coughed on needs to be cleaned thoroughly and correctly with proper equipment and disinfectants.
A normal restoration company would not be able to tackle this extensive job, mostly because they have not been properly trained to deal with cases of infectious diseases. Most restoration companies that offer trauma cleanup only clean up un-infected blood, while Ebola and other infectious diseases need to be cleaned meticulously.
In the cleaning industry, there is a saying that states “high work before low work”. This means that the professionals will start by cleaning the ceiling vents, and will then work down to the floor. With a highly infectious and deadly virus, it is necessary that every item in the room is disinfected properly. Now, what is the proper attire to wear while cleaning?
First, a professional will wear a full fluid-resistant suit, masks, double gloves, and more. Every point that the infected person touched must be disinfected with a medical-grade germicidal disinfectant, and supplies and equipment must also be properly disposed after it has been used. This is where it gets dangerous, because even with the proper safety equipment and supplies in place, the professionals who are performing the cleaning are at risk and must remain vigilant so that they themselves do not contract the disease. The minute that a professional becomes complacent about their personal safety, they are then at great risk. You can do it 99 percent right, but the one percent could be lethal.
This kind of cleanup does come with a hefty price though. For example, the labor rate for this type of professional service can be $50 to $75 an hour per person, often with a minimum of 10 hours per project. Just pertaining to the safety equipment (disposable suits, gloves, masks, and goggles) may run up to about $100 per usage. And then not to mention the cost of the chemicals and the cleaning solutions, which can run upward of $40 to $60 per case.
To clean this area, Level A HazMat suits are needed. A team of professionals in Dallas was hired to clean after the man who contracted Ebola passed away, but they wore Level B suits. They were then later taken off of the job and a new company was hired, because they didn’t wear completely safe gear that is absolutely needed to clean up after an infectious disease.
In the case of an infectious disease, it is absolutely vital that you call a specialized team of professionals that is licensed and certified in biohazard cleanup. They will have the proper tools, techniques, and equipment to thoroughly and properly disinfect an area that has been contaminated by blood borne pathogens such as the Ebola virus.
