How an unattended death clean-up is handled by professionals

When a deceased person is discovered after a period of time, the whole situation can be intense and overwhelming. But what's challenging is the cleaning up after the unattended death. Apart from the biohazard dangers that arise from a situation like this, there is considerable damage done to the premises as a result of the decomposition process. For times like this, the cleanup and remediation of property should be handled by an expert biohazard cleaning team. Always reach out to a professional that will ensure extensive cleaning and remediation to rid your property of all biohazard dangers.

Below are the steps followed by a biohazard cleaning company to ensure the clean-up is done well.

Site examination:
Firstly, the cleaning crew will investigate and analyse the scene/area to determine the extent of the damage. A number of factors could influence the extent of contamination, from the kind of death to the time period since the death occurred. This study helps the cleanup team to design a plan of action that is best suited to eliminate all odours and decontaminate the area and materials present.

Cleaning up the area affected:
Next comes the cleaning of the decontaminated area. In this step, the cleaners will clean, decontaminate, sanitise and deodorise the area including surfaces, and carpeting. They follow strict procedures to ensure all contaminants are removed entirely from the site. In certain cases, the carpeting and subflooring will also be removed. This is to ensure no contaminants that could give rise to health dangers remain. The whole affected area is treated with advanced odour removal techniques to get rid of unpleasant odours completely.

Removal of contaminated materials:
At times, there are items that are highly contaminated making them difficult to salvage. It becomes necessary for the cleaners to remove and discard such materials. Cleaners follow strict protocols while discarding these. This is to ensure that the community surrounding the site are free from the risk of biohazard contamination.

Are you are facing a traumatic situation like an unattended death in your family or property? Don’t let the clean-up stress you out. At Bio Cleanse Services, we are always ready to help you in times like this. Contact us or call us on 0427 411 789 for any unattended death cleanup requirements.

What Happens When an Unattended Death Occurs?

An unattended death is when a person dies and the body is not discovered for days or longer period of time. Unattended deaths are not uncommon because many people live alone now-a-days. These people tend to keep to themselves and do not socialize as much as others. Hence, when they pass away, it takes longer for someone to know that they are gone.

Dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy for the family members. And handling the clean-up can be even more traumatic. The family should not have to deal with this mess alone. It is best to avail of the services of professional cleaners to thoroughly clean and sanitize all affected areas. The technician will ensure there is no further damage to your property.

As the body decomposes, it releases body fluids and potentially harmful bacteria that can make one sick and negatively affect the home and environment. There are generally five stages of decomposition:

Fresh: This stage begins immediately after the heart stops beating and visible changes caused by decomposition are limited. The small amount of oxygen remaining in the body is quickly depleted. The body releases enzymes that begin eating the cells from the inside out.

Bloat: This stage provides the first clear visual sign that microbial proliferation is underway. The accumulation of gases within the bodily cavity leads to the distention of the stomach and gives a cadaver its overall bloated appearance. The build-up of pressure along with the loss of the skin elasticity may also cause the body to rupture.

Active Decay:  During this period there is greatest mass loss. This happens due to maggots feeding of the body and the purging of decomposition fluids into the surrounding environment. This leads to strong and offensive odours being emitted.

Advanced Decay: The body loses most of its mass during this stage as its soft tissue decomposes and all organs, muscles, and skin become liquefied. By the end of this stage only hair, bones and cartilage remain. 

Dry/Remains/Skeletonization: After most of the body tissues have decayed and been eaten away by insects, the skeleton is still greasy from the remaining soft tissues and body fluids. Over time, those tissues lose moisture and begin to dry out and break down from environmental factors. Eventually, only the skeleton will remain, completely exposed and free from any tissues and fluids.

Bio Cleanse Services provides unattended death cleanup services to families and property owners. Our bioremediation specialists wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow approved safety and sanitation procedures to prevent the spread of diseases and bacteria.

Let us help lift the burden of the cleaning process, off your shoulders so you can begin moving on from this traumatic event. We service the areas of Sydney, Goulburn, Batemans Bay, Canberra & surrounding suburbs of NSW. Call now on 0412 547 547 or visit our website.

Types of decontamination

For many of you who are not familiar with or don’t have an idea what decontamination is?

Decontamination is the process of cleaning different contaminants like micro-organism or hazardous materials from the environment. It can be done to prevent germs and other contaminants from spreading that may be harmful to human health.

There are different types of decontamination of which here are a few:

Human decontamination 

It is the process of cleaning the human body to remove contamination caused by hazardous materials. Human decontamination falls in two categories - Mass decontamination and Hospital decontamination. Mass decontamination is the decontamination/disinfection process done for large crowd of people. Generally this is done in industries, factories, etc. and functions as a “human car wash”. Hospital decontamination is a term that is used to provide a decontamination shower built in the hospital. Forensic and crime scene clean-up is also considered as human decontamination. 

Water decontamination

Water decontamination is the process of treating or decontaminating polluted water from products. This is caused by various reasons and can be harmful to humans causing typhoid or cholera. Contaminated water can be noticed by the naked eye when the water is discoloured by an algae form.

Air decontamination

The process of disinfecting all impurities in the air is referred to as Air decontamination. Air contamination is caused by smoke, paint, heavy mental, etc. and they can lead to various respiratory diseases as well. Decontamination of air is done by getting rid of pollutants or odour in whatever form.

Fungal decontamination

Contamination caused by fungal particles borne from spores & fungal fragments. They evolve in moisture or high humidity and cause health risk to the immune system. Decontamination of fungus is important so as to prevent mould growth.

Dry decontamination

Dry decontamination is different from the others. It is a decontamination process that does not involve water or any liquid. Dry decontamination is performed in a particular way done in five steps:

Scraping – it is done to remove the contaminant in bulk from the environment.

Absorbent material – absorbent materials are specifically used to absorb all the contaminants.

Adsorbent material – they are materials which adhere to and encapsulate the contaminants.

Vacuuming – it is the physical activity to remove solid materials from the environment.

Pressurized air – the process where low pressure air streams is placed on the surface to remove any solids.

We at Bio Cleanse Pty Ltd take up the task of decontamination with complete professionalism to do the job systematically. Give us a call on 042 741 1789 or visit our webpage: http://www.bio-cleanse.com.au/services/decontamination-cleaning/