WESTLAKE, CA – In the aftermath of incidents such as accidents, violent crimes, homicides, or suicides, the care that authorities need to extend to the impacted area is often far beyond what you would ordinarily expect.
Besides the expected collection of evidence, it is vitally important in incidences such as these that these scenes are subjected to a thorough cleanup by a knowledgeable and Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)-accredited team to ensure that any biohazardous materials are removed to avoid any health-related risks.
The IICRC is a non-profit organization for the Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Industries. Since it was founded in 1972 by Ed York, the IICRC has evolved into a global organization with more than 49,000 active Certified Technicians and more than 6,500 Certified Firms around the world. Its mission, according to the group’s website, is to “establish and advance globally recognized standards, credentials, and certifications for the inspection, cleaning, and restoration industries.”
Insufficient forensic and crime scene cleanup jobs carried out at by non-IICRC teams – the requirements of which, unfortunately, are informal and not even necessitated by many law enforcement agencies – can often lead to contamination and serious health impacts, as opposed to these spaces being restored to clean, healthy environments.
Crime scenes and sites of traumatic events can leave the areas they have taken place in with numerous dangerous contaminants, such as blood, bodily fluids, and tissues; these represent not only aesthetic issues, but also carry serious health risks such as bloodborne pathogens and biohazards. Therefore, ensuring that such scenes are properly cleaned up and decontaminated goes far beyond conventional cleaning techniques, requiring specialized and expert care.
IICRC-accredited forensic cleaning professionals follow strict guidelines and protocols when cleaning up scenes of crime and trauma, using specialized equipment and chemicals to make sure that contaminated materials are properly removed and disposed of while adhering to safety regulations. Such environments must not only be visibly devoid of any traces of the incident that had taken place there, but they also must be completely sanitized and safe for human use going forward.
In addition to high levels of training, forensic cleaning professionals utilize specialized gear and equipment when addressing their trauma scene cleanup duties, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), pressure washers, ultraviolet lights, biohazard disposal containers, chemical treatment tanks, and no-touch cleaning systems, in addition to industrial-strength cleaners, disinfectants. deodorizers, and enzyme solvents.
Cleanup professionals must also work hand-in-hand with law enforcement, emergency services, and property owners to ensure that they operate within established legal and ethical constraints.
Using the services of skilled and IICRC-accredited professionals for crime scene and trauma cleanup is absolutely essential to make sure that the affected environment in question is returned to its original state and is thoroughly sanitized for the people who will continue to live and/or work there following a traumatic event, allowing them to go on with their lives and rest easy knowing that their environment is healthy and safe.
