Recent Biohazard Posts

Biohazard Services

6/7/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO technicians wearing tyvek suits wiping down a table. Call the professionals at SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes. 712-262-4379

Biohazard cleanup involves cleaning, sanitizing, and deodorizing areas where a traumatic event such as an accident, injury or death has occurred. Biohazard cleanup can be challenging work that requires technicians to handle potentially hazardous materials such as blood, human or animal remains, chemical spills and more. How extensive a biohazard cleaning needs to be depends on the underlying hazardous material and the harm it poses. Unattended death and the aftermath of hoarding are the most common biohazard situations where it’s best to call in an expert. Handling and disposing of hazardous materials go further than just cleaning visible evidence of blood, bodily fluids, or a crime scene.

Federal and state rules regulate the handling and disposal of hazardous waste to ensure the safety of all persons. Trained professionals will properly establish the contaminated area, prevent cross-contamination, remove existing bio matter, decontaminate, and deodorize if necessary. Our trained professionals will use OSHA and EPA-approved products and protective equipment to detect, sanitize, and eliminate all blood borne pathogens and bio-hazardous waste.

We care for the people in our community and take pride in our work. You can count on our team to be discrete, maintain confidentiality, and treat each situation with care and compassion. A quick response can make all the difference when it comes to biohazards. SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes is here for you when you need us 24/7.

What is Biohazard Cleaning & When is it Needed?

6/13/2022 (Permalink)

Photo of a technician in a tyvek suit. SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes offers 24-hour emergency service.

Biohazard cleaning is a service that involves cleaning, sanitizing, and deodorizing areas where a traumatic event has occurred. Dealing with biohazards often means dealing with blood, human or animal residues, or chemical spills. These types of situations range from people getting sick, to a crime scene, hoarding or unattended death and all require a specialized remediation process handled by trained professionals.

In the event that your property needs biohazard cleanup, SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes can help. These types of situations require experience and respect for all involved. Our team of trained professionals will always treat your property, and everyone involved with the greatest empathy and respect in the face of trying circumstances.

Because traumatic events often involve biological and chemical contaminants, it’s important to know that the restoration process is being handled in compliance with all government and health regulations. Our technicians are equipped with the necessary safety equipment and cleaning products to help transform an unhealthy environment back into clean, safe homes and offices.

SERVPRO provides proper cleaning, application of EPA-registered disinfectants, and lawful biohazard disposal, after a severe trauma event. Count on a fast discreet response when you call SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes at (712) 262-4379.

Northwest Iowa's Crime Scene Cleanup Specialists

6/22/2021 (Permalink)

Fingerprints on an orange background. SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes is Northwest Iowa's Crime Scene Cleanup Specialist. 712-262-4379

There are times in this job that as a Sales & Marketing Representative we get to have some very interesting and unique conversations in regard to the needs of our clients.  While most we find intriguing, one of the most difficult that I have found is an easy way to discuss our crime scene cleanup services.  While it seems that many people have been desensitized to these types of situations due to graphic movies, tv shows, or video games...it takes on a much different feeling when having to discuss even the potential loss of a loved one with a client.  

After the police have finished processing a crime or accident scene, the cleaning and restoration process can begin. Many times, crime and accident scenes have blood and other biohazard contaminants that pose a serious health risk. 

Our technicians follow OSHA and EPA protocols to help transform an unsafe business, home or vehicle back into a clean, safe environment. Our first focus is always safety, since crime or accident scenes may involve bloodborne pathogens, harmful chemicals, and other dangers. We will always treat your property and the people involved with the greatest empathy and respect in the face of trying circumstances.

Crime Scene and Trauma Cleaning Services

  • Fingerprint powder and evidence-gathering chemicals
  • Tear gas and pepper spray residues
  • Fire extinguisher residue
  • Blood, bodily fluids, and tissue remnants

With the increase in suicide rate over the last 5 years SERVPRO has received a number of calls requesting cleanup services.  We understand how difficult the situation is to begin with and it is our goal to alleviate some of that pain and stress. Not only can our team clean up from these heartbreaking events, they can also help with any pack-out services and overall property cleanup so you can focus on grieving and honoring your loved ones memories. 

SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes is Here in Your Community, Here to Help.  712-262-4379

Serving the communities in Clay, Dickinson, and O'Brien counties.  Our team of professionals is on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays.     

Death Scene Clean-Up: A Tough Subject

3/15/2018 (Permalink)

Families are impacted with the death of a loved one and sometimes don’t know where to turn when that death happens in a home.

I debated writing this blog for quite some time. But this week we received a call from a funeral home in another town, and it hit me that even though it’s not the easiest topic to discuss, it is worth the discussion. Families are impacted with the death of a loved one and sometimes don’t know where to turn when that death happens in a home.

The clean-up that is needed after an unattended death is not easy to write about and is definitely not something a sales or marketing person wants to talk about. I have experienced the suicide of my dear brother-in-law and I know the anguish a family goes through as they process that death is debilitating. The clean-up afterward can obviously prove too traumatic for a family to perform. The same can be said when an elderly loved one dies alone. Body decomposition, though natural, is very hazardous to anyone in and or around the area.

Cleaning up can be emotionally challenging, not to mention dangerous if blood and/or other bodily fluids are involved. Our team at SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes will treat the family and their loved one’s property with the greatest empathy. Our goal after a death is to remove the burden of cleaning up by those family members left behind.

Many times, our own team is impacted with strong feelings or reactions to the death, despite having no acquaintance with the victim. Our team has the training and experience to stay focused on the unique nature of their cleaning task. They are cleaning and restoring the site of the traumatic event. They are preforming an invaluable service to the customer. Our hope, is that our clean-up process will help the customer recover in a small way from the aftermath of the loss of life.

We have an insurance expert in our Spencer office who can also help family members navigate the homeowner’s policy. Many people don’t realize that insurance policies often offer coverage for crime scene and trauma cleaning, so it’s crucial to check with the insurance policy adjuster to determine if coverage is offered.

All these are reasons why I feel it’s important to write this blog. Helping a family in their time of need by responding 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help them restore their lives is of the utmost importance to us.

While we hope that you never have to experience a death that needs Biohazard Clean-up, we do want to let you know that there are experts out there who will help if ever the need arises.

Need help? (712) 262-4379