Body Fluid Spill Cleanup

All bodily fluids are potentially contaminated with blood-born pathogens including bacteria, viruses and fungi. As such, a human body fluid spill can pose an occupational hazard if proper cleanup procedures are not followed.

So should you ever try to clean up a body fluid spill yourself? Unless the amount of blood is so minuscule you can clean it up in seconds with a sheet of a paper towel, we recommend you take no chances with your health or the health of others.

As per the Occupational Health and Safety Act, only authorized personnel like Brooks Remediation may perform spill cleanup procedures for spills containing human blood or other potentially infectious material. We ensure our experienced staff utilizes the appropriate personal protective equipment such as: gloves, proper eye-wear, faces shields, masks, and protective outer garments to keep from contamination. We also bring all necessary supplies to the scene, including: the appropriate disposal bags, a disinfectant, absorbent material, a sharps container, and device to remove contaminated sharps.

If you find yourself needing to clean up a blood spill, contact us for a fast response time. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year. 

Contact us today and allow our empathetic and professional staff members alleviate the burden and responsibility involved in the cleanup and disinfection off of your shoulders, and on to ours. (888) 567-0545

Railroad Safety Trauma Cleanup

If you’ve ridden on a train, you may have heard an unfortunate announcement that there has been a pedestrian strike on the tracks. Unfortunately, these tragedies do happen far more frequently than you may think. The scary reality is not only are railcars incredibly quiet but other factors such as the terrain, location of the person, or simply being distracted with headphones, contribute to these accidents.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), 784 people were killed in train-related accidents in 2013, the highest total in the last four years. These pedestrian fatalities on railroad tracks include people taking shortcuts while walking, people who have ignored warnings sounds or lights of an approaching train, as well as suicides.

The important thing to remember is these railroad accidents are avoidable, they don’t have to happen. By following the below railroad safety tips, pedestrians can avoid serious accidents:

• Stay alert - Trains can come from either direction at any time and can be very quiet. Be sure to obey all warning signs and signals around train tracks or in stations.
• Stand away from the platform edge - Stand several feet away from the train while it is pulling into and out of a station. Also, watch your step as there may be a gap between the train and platform.
• Remove distractions - In an increasingly connected world, many of us have trouble focusing on our surroundings and putting away our cell phones. When around train tracks, use extreme caution when using headsets or cell phones.
• Don’t take shortcuts - Follow directional signs and markings that let you know where it is safe to cross the tracks. Crossing elsewhere is dangerous and illegal.

While we hope you'll never need our services - if a tragedy strikes, we'll be there to help. Contact us today and trust Brooks Remediation for professional and safe bloodborne pathogen cleanup, to ensure that your property is protected after any death or trauma scene has occurred.

What are Bloodborne Pathogens?

 

As we’ve mentioned throughout our blog, we consistently urge you to leave remediation to the professionals. Not only for your safety, but for the safety of others as well. Here’s why:

Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans. They are easily transmitted through contact with another’s blood or bodily fluids (whether they are wet or dry). These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - all of which are very serious, incurable, and life-threatening.

Most of the time, exposure to these pathogens occurs when an untrained individual enters a contaminated crime-scene area without wearing the proper protective clothing, uses an inappropriate disposal container for a contaminated item, or is accidentally cut by a sharp contaminated object or needle. It’s important to understand that many types of bacteria can survive for days, weeks, or even months on inanimate surfaces and can lay dormant for an indefinite time until rewetted posing a serious health risk once again.

When we receive a call from a concerned client regarding the remediation of a scene, we respond within 1-3 hours. Specializing in Emergency Response, we urge you not to act first to ensure the safety of everyone directly or indirectly involved.

Trust Brooks Remediation for professional and safe bloodborne pathogen and crime scene cleanup to ensure your home is restored to its original, safe condition. Contact us today and allow our empathetic and professional staff members alleviate the burden and responsibility involved in the cleanup and disinfection off of your shoulders, and on to ours. 800-663-2854

Luminol: What is it? How Does it Work?

Any fan of forensic TV shows know, that when an investigation occurs at the scene of a crime - chances are a substance is sprayed over the ground and moments later blood splatter is revealed. While there is a lot of exaggerated technology in TV shows or movies, this special chemical is entirely real.

Luminol - a powdery compound made up of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. When mixed with an appropriate oxidizing agent, luminol exhibits a striking blue glow when it detects trace amounts of blood as it reacts with iron found in hemoglobin. Unlike TV shows however, the glow is much shorter lived - lasting only around thirty seconds.

Photo via Flickr / Jack Spades

To perform a luminol test, the criminalists spray a mixture of luminal powder plus a liquid containing hydrogen peroxide, a hydroxide, and other chemicals, wherever they think blood may be found. If the hemoglobin (even if wiped up) and luminol mixture come in contact, a cyclic peroxide is produced by the reaction, which quickly decomposes to give a chemical called 3-aminophthalate. As explained by Compound Interest:

“[This] reaction releases energy, which is transferred to electrons in the 3-aminophthalate molecules, promoting them to a higher energy level. As the electrons drop down to a more stable energy level, they release their excess energy as photons of light, resulting in blue chemiluminescence. Luminol can detect the presence of blood at dilutions of up to 1:1,000,000, or 1 part per million.”

It is important to note that luminol typically only shows investigators that there might be blood in an area, given that other substances like bleach and urine can cause luminol to glow. When this occurs, other tests must be run to verify it is really human blood.

In itself, luminol will not solve a murder case, however it is a step in the investigative process that can reveal essential information. On the down side, it can also result in a chemical reaction that destroys other evidence from a crime scene - so it is used cautiously and only when necessary.

For more information on luminol and its use in investigations, please click here. 

Trust Brooks Remediation for professional and safe bloodborne pathogen and crime scene cleanup to ensure your home is restored to its original, safe condition. Contact us today and allow our empathetic and professional staff members alleviate the burden and responsibility involved in the cleanup and disinfection off of your shoulders, and on to ours. 800-663-2854