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

OSHA Definitions 1910.1030: Bloodborne Pathogens A-E

Here at Brooks Remediation, our highly trained and professional biohazard remediation personnel are not only dedicated to trauma cleanup, but education as well. We understand certain lingo may be used that you may be unfamiliar with, and as such we want to ensure you don’t feel more overwhelmed.

See below for an A-E glossary of frequently used words:

"Blood" means human blood, human blood components, and products made from human blood.

"Bloodborne Pathogens" means pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

"Clinical Laboratory" means a workplace where diagnostic or other screening procedures is performed on blood or other potentially infectious materials.

"Contaminated" means the presence or the reasonably anticipated presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials on an item or surface.

"Contaminated Laundry" means laundry that has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials or may contain sharps.

"Contaminated Sharps" means any contaminated object that can penetrate the skin including, but not limited to, needles, scalpels, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, and exposed ends of dental wires.

"Decontamination" means the use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate, or destroy bloodborne pathogens on a surface or item to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles and the surface or item is rendered safe for handling, use, or disposal.

"Director" means the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or designated representative.

"Engineering Controls" means controls (e.g., sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles) that isolate or remove the bloodborne pathogens hazard from the workplace.

"Exposure Incident" means a specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or parenteral with blood or other potentially infectious materials that result from the performance of an employee's duties.

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

Crime Scene Cleanup NYC

Do you need Crime Scene Cleanup, Unattended Death Cleanup, Suicide Cleanup, or Hoarding Services in the New York area? Give Brooks Remediation a call. Currently servicing all of Long Island and NYC’s five boroughs, we are dedicated to assisting people and communities when tragedy strikes.

At Brooks Remediation, we help take the burden and responsibility involved in the cleanup and disinfection off of our client’s shoulders, and on to ours. With 24/7 year-round immediate dispatch, we provide full-compliant cleanup services for law enforcement, first responders, coroners, and public service agencies.

We pride ourselves on prompt, professional service and back all of our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

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 home and property are protected after any death or trauma scene has occurred.

Is Crime Scene Cleanup Covered By Insurance?

As we know, every loss is unique and while we cannot make any guarantees regarding your coverage, in most cases, homeowners insurance does cover cleanup services. It’s important to check your policy for coverage details.

If you have coverage, we will submit the bill to your carrier and work with them directly to resolve payment making you only responsible for your deductible.

If you don't have coverage, we have payment options available and can also assist with third-party sources of funding including: Victims compensation assistance, Discount programs, or Payment plans.

After reviewing the site and getting an assessment of the work needed, we can estimate your out-of-pocket expenses. For more insurance and payment information, please visit our website 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

Suicide Warning Signs

As experts in suicide cleanup, we’ve seen first hand just how much suicide can impact the lives of loved ones. In an ideal world, such services would not be needed. Unfortunately, knowledge of suicidal warning signs and how to respond to them are important in working to prevent the incident from occurring:

Chart via HelpGuide.org

Should you know someone who is struggling with any of the above issues or is part of a demographic where suicide is a frequent cause of death, the extra attention that you pay to their actions and behaviors may just end up being the difference between life and death. For more information on helping a suicidal person, please visit HelpGuide.org here »

While we hope you'll never need our services - if a tragedy strikes, we'll be there to help.The moment we arrive, our teams are trained to use compassion, discretion and communication skills. They will take as much time as you need to understand the process, the costs and payment options. We will take pictures to help document the scene for you, and give you a written estimate.

Call Brooks Remediation today at 800-663-2854. Our technicians can get to you within 1-3 hours if you are in need of immediate response.

PTSD: Symptoms and Recovery

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is commonly known to effect combat soldiers in the military. However, reality is PTSD can effect anyone who has experienced an overwhelming life event - especially if the event was traumatic, unpredictable, and out of the individual’s control.

There are four types of symptoms of PTSD:

1. Reliving the event (also called re-experiencing symptoms) - Having bad memories or nightmares. One may even feel as if they are experiencing the event again - this is called a flashback.
2. Avoiding situations that remind you of the event - Avoiding situations or people that trigger memories of the traumatic event. One may even avoid talking or thinking about the event.
3. Negative changes in beliefs and feelings - Due to the drama, the way one thinks about themselves or others may change. They may feel fear, guilt, or shame and may not have any interest in activities once enjoyed.
4. Feeling keyed up (also called hyperarousal) - One may be jittery, or always alert and on the lookout for danger - or have trouble concentrating or sleeping.

Most who experience a trauma have some symptoms initially, but only some will develop PTSD over time. The reason why it effects some and not others is unclear. “Getting better” means different things for different people and not all who seek treatment will be “cured.”

When recovering from a disaster, it is important to know you are not alone. Safety, physical and mental well-being must be considered. For more information on treatment options please visit PTSD.VA.org as well as our website for important crisis hotline numbers in New York State.

At Brooks Remediation, our highly trained and professional biohazard remediation personnel is dedicated to helping people and communities when tragedy strikes. 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

Best Hand Washing Methods to Fight Disease

Hand washing doesn’t take up much time or effort, but doing it properly offers great rewards in terms of preventing disease. As you touch people, surfaces, and other objects throughout the day, germs accumulate on your hands. This poses a significant risk in the transfer of bacteria, viruses, and other microbes if your hands come in contact with your eyes, nose or mouth.

To prevent any infection, it’s important to wash hands frequently - and properly:

• Wet your hands with running water - warm or cold
• Apply liquid, bar or powder soap and lather well
• Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Remember to scrub all surfaces, including backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
• Rinse well and dry your hands with a clean/disposable towel or air dryer. When leaving the restroom, try avoid directly touching door handles.

Much like hand washing, the first stage in bioremediation is to ensure the contaminated area is clean. At Brooks Remediation, we follow strict cross contamination prevention and sanitation protocols. First, we meticulously clean the area with proprietary cleaning agents. Then we test the surfaces with a portable adenosine triphosphate (ATP) fluorescence testing unit, which detects whether or not any living organism has survived. Once the process is complete, we do a second test to ensure that the ATP levels are zero.

After remediating the scene, our techs dispose of all bio-hazardous materials in marked containers and take them to an approved bio-hazard disposal site, following local, state and federal laws.

Trust Brooks Remediation for professional and safe bloodborne pathogen cleanup, to ensure that your home and property are protected after any death or trauma scene has occurred.

For more information on how to prevent the spread of disease, visit Mayo Clinic’s website here.

Pricing and Payment Options - How Much Does Crime Scene Cleanup Cost?

Depending the situation, the cost of remediating biohazards can vary dramatically. In order to give an estimate, a proper assessment must be completed. When you call us, we’ll arrive immediately and prepare a detailed scope of work and a written estimate of our recommended treatment plan.

Pricing factors can include:

• Number of rooms affected (including pathways/hallways)
• Level of structural damage (floors, cabinetry, wall surfaces)
• Length of time left unattended
• Complications including hoarding, machinery, or large amounts of personal property like clothing and furniture

Our hourly rates are industry standard to insurance industry pricing tools, Blue Book and Xactimate. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and staff all job sites with a minimum of one foreman and one technician for safety and efficiency reasons.

For more information about insurance and payment options, please visit our website.

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

About Our Services: Infectious Disease

Brooks Remediation treats all crime scenes and blood spills as if they contain life threatening infection, and with good reason.

Did you know even the smallest trace of blood or biological materials can present risks from bacteria and bloodborne diseases? While you can’t see these diseases, they are severe enough to cause illness or even death should they not have been cleaned properly. Some viruses can remain dormant and reactive when exposed to water, putting you and your family at risk long after the incident.

Brooks Remediation ensures the safest bloodborne pathogen cleanup, using the same techniques the food prep facilities, health care, and manufacturing companies use to eradicate disease. For more information on the steps to our infectious disease/bloodborne pathogen cleanup please visit our website 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. (888) 567-0545

About Our Services: Crime Scene Cleanup

Crime scene clean up, whether it be a homicide or a suicide, should not be handled by someone who has not been professionally trained. Crime scenes can be littered with biohazards like HIV/AIDS, MRSA, Hepatitis C, dangerous chemicals, and other hidden biohazards.

Brooks Remediation has EPA approved chemicals and equipment to deal with any crime scene or biohazard a situation might present. Our goal is to restore your home or business to its normal state prior to the incident. 

Our crime scene cleanup technicians have been handpicked for their empathy and attention to detail, as well as ensure the protection of your privacy. A Brooks Remediation team will arrive as soon as possible and work to clean, disinfect, and remove all contamination from the scene. 

While we hope you'll never need our services - if a tragedy strikes, we'll be there to help. Learn more about our crime scene clean up on our website »

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

Stay Informed - Tips on Handling a Crisis Situation

We’ve all said it before, “that will never happen to me.” While we sincerely hope you don’t ever have to utilize our services, we also know how unpredictable life can be and as such it’s important to stay informed.

Staying informed means knowing what to do when a crisis happens. It means being prepared before, during and after an emergency. This can make all the difference in responding to a situation that requires having a clear head, in a time where things may be cloudy.

Below are some tips on handling a crisis situation:

• Contact a certified and licensed cleaning company, like us here at Brooks Remediation
• If at all possible, avoid being inside the scene. Once the cleaning company arrives, they will issue you appropriate personal protective equipment to ensure safety.
• Close off the rest of the house and create a direct route in and out of the contaminated area for emergency personnel/police/coroner etc.
• To avoid tracking infectious materials, do not enter back into the non-contaminated area without removing shoes and leaving them outside.
• If you’ve come in contact with blood or OPIM with or without wearing gloves, wash your hands thoroughly. Also, wear a paper dust mask if infectious materials could be in the air.
• If you came into direct contact with blood or OPIM you should go to the emergency room and tell them you came into contact with blood and need prophylactic treatment and evaluation.
• If a majority of the business or dwelling has blood or bodily fluids you should evacuate the area and stay with friends, family or in a hotel. This is only in extreme circumstances where there is blood or OPIM spread throughout 90% of the area.

At Brooks Remediation, our highly trained and professional biohazard remediation personnel is dedicated to helping people and communities when tragedy strikes. 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

What Makes Brooks Remediation Different?

Homicides, unattended deaths, blood spills, etc. are all tragic events that no one plans on experiencing in their lifetime. As such, dealing and coping with the aftermath of these happenings is incredibly difficult. Tacking on the thought of restoring your home or the vicinity to its natural state can be overwhelming. It is important that no one attempt to clean up a scene if they have not been professionally trained. Not only can this be traumatic for friends and family, but very dangerous as well.

Over 20 years ago, The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) developed the Blood borne Pathogen Standard and The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act to protect workers whose occupations expose them to dangerous, life threatening blood borne pathogens. Compliance with these standards are mandatory by federal law.

The following are the steps we take to remain in compliance and provide a healthy and safe work environment for our workers and the public:

• Exposure Control Plan
• Implementation and usage of UNIVERSAL precautions
• Usage of engineering controls
• Usage of work practice controls
• Appropriate personal protective equipment
• Hepatitis B Vaccinations for all employees
• Post exposure care and follow up
• Appropriate training and certifications for all employees
• Labels and signs for hazard communication
• Worker medical and training logs

Learn more about why compliance is key to prevention on our website.

At Brooks Remediation, our highly trained and professional biohazard remediation personnel is dedicated to helping people and communities when tragedy strikes. 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

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Trust Brooks Remediation for professional and safe bloodborne pathogen cleanup, to ensure that your home and property are protected after any death or trauma scene has occurred.