The Difference Between Biohazard and Hazardous Materials

Following a violent crime, chemical spill or accident, the full area must be disinfected and cleaned up as quickly as possible to prevent any damage from spreading and to protect the health of all affected parties. But when searching for cleanup companies, you might actually find that there are two different cleaning companies available: hazmat cleaning and biohazard cleaning.

While the two are similar in that they deal with dangerous materials, the necessary service will depend on the material present and specific accident.

For those who are unfamiliar with either service, it can be confusing to choose which one is best suited to handle the job. But in any case, it’s crucial to make sure they are trained, experienced, licensed and follow all government regulations during the cleanup process.

Hazmat Cleaning

When there is a hazardous substance not derived from a living organism that can cause harm, a hazmat cleaning service is needed. These professionals can help clean up after accidents and/or spills of any of the following:

• Asbestos
• Lead
• Oil
• Acids
• Propane and gas
• Toxins

When working with a hazmat cleaning service, you will usually see them cleaning up after a broken gas line or oil spill or conducting an asbestos abatement. They use a variety of equipment and cleaning products to remove the hazardous materials and they work efficiently and effectively to restore the area.

They also follow a number of steps to remove crude oil and poisons from indoor and outdoor facilities. This is why it takes skilled, experienced technicians to fully clear away these materials to prevent the damage from spreading.

Biohazard and trauma scenes should be avoided due to health risks,

Biohazard Cleaning

A team of professionals who provide biohazard cleaning services are also trained and experienced, but in a different field. They handle dangerous materials that are biological in nature – things that are either living organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, or that came from a living organism, including blood and feces.

Biohazard cleanup can include any of the following:

• Vomit
• Blood
• Bacteria
• Feces
• Urine
• Bodily tissue and fluids
• Viruses

Each of the biohazards above can be contaminated by bacteria and other harmful pathogens that can quickly spread illness and disease if not cleaned up right away. Whether the incident was small or large, coming from hoarding, a crime, industrial accident or infectious disease contamination, a biohazard cleanup crew will follow all steps necessary to restore the property. Their services are customized to account for all surfaces and remove all biohazard materials to return the affected environment to a safe and healthy condition.

Biohazard cleanup professionals will follow all regulations to keep you safe

The Biohazard Cleanup Process

During the biohazard cleanup service, they will first arrive in unmarked vehicles to protect your privacy, explain the cleanup process, answer any of your questions, and then start removing the biohazards. This is followed by conducting detailed cleaning and decontamination within the affected area. A trained and experienced team of biohazard cleanup professionals will also follow all local, state, and federal regulations to keep you, themselves, and the public safe.

While removing biohazards is dangerous work, the dedicated professionals are committed to providing 24-hour services and working with individuals during stressful times. They are accustomed to working efficiently with compassion and respect to avoid any disruption to family activities. They will also handle the full cleanup process so you can focus on other matters and move forward.

Additional Cleaning Services Needed

In addition to cleaning up bodily fluids, blood, and pathogens, many biohazard cleanup technicians also handle odor removal, mold removal, and drug paraphernalia and chemical removal after a crime investigation, including fingerprint powder and tear gas. If any of these services are also needed in addition to the biohazard cleanup service, it is important to let them know right away to see if they can handle these procedures.

Janitors don’t have the training or licensing needed to restore biohazard affected areas

Janitorial Services are Not Biohazard nor Hazmat Cleaning Services

When there’s a dangerous spill or accident involving blood, tissue or other bodily fluids, only a team of dedicated cleaning professionals is qualified to handle the cleanup process. Neither maid services nor janitors have the training or licensing needed to restore these affected areas.

They don’t know where the damage may have spread or which chemicals to use and they don’t have the licenses or permits to transport and properly dispose of chemical waste and biohazardous materials. Without the necessary training or proper equipment, the property owner will be held legally accountable for the safety of all affected parties as well as additional damage in the future.

Never open yourself up to this risk as it can not only complicate matters for you during a stressful time but also put others’ lives on the line. This is why it’s crucial to only work with a hazmat cleaning or biohazard cleaning service to effectively restore the area.

Work with a Team of Licensed Biohazard Cleaning Professionals

When searching for an efficient and effective biohazard cleanup service, it’s important to ensure they have all licensing, training and experience needed to properly perform the cleanup. A team of professionals will also know which chemicals to use on which surfaces and follow proper protocol to effectively restore the area.

They will arrive in unmarked vehicles, working with compassion and respect as well as with law enforcement to avoid disrupting an open investigation. They will also remove any lingering odors, mold or chemicals left behind from the investigation, fully returning the affected area to a safe and clean condition again.

When contacting a group of local professionals, be sure to check their credentials to avoid any legal complications, potential illness or spread of damage. If not, you may need to hire another service as it’s crucial to have the materials cleaned up properly.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.