Actual Definition Of Unattended Death Clean Up In Crime Scene Cleaning
You may have heard law enforcement, medical professionals, and biohazard cleaning companies use the term “unattended death“. On its most basic level, unattended death refers to the passing of any person without witnesses. Legally, the term may have more refined definitions. Here are a few:
·
A patient who died while seriously ill, but
not under the immediate supervision of a physician or medical staff.
·
A significantly ill person who passed away
more than a certain time period (days, weeks or months) since their last
interaction with their physician.
·
A person who passed away under suspicious
circumstances.
Unattended death
Companies that clean up after death use the
phrase more informally, because where the law is interested in the
circumstances of a person’s demise, we’re focused on removing body fluids and
tissue left behind once a body is removed from the premises.
All
too often, when a person dies alone, they’re not discovered for a while, so
“unattended death cleaning” is a professional way of referring to projects
involving body decomposition. “Decomp jobs” is also an industry term, but we
find it’s not one that surviving friends and family members wish to hear.
Friends and family are rarely equipped—emotionally
or technically—to confront the very unpleasant task of cleaning a home after a
person has passed away, especially if trauma or the passage of time has
complicated the task. That’s why biohazardremediation companies like us are so important.
Factors that affect these jobs
No two biohazard cleanup jobs are
alike, and unattended death sanitization may take a few hours or several days
depending upon the circumstances. Our customer support team uses nearly two
decades of data from Bio Recovery’s past jobs to calculate the most accurate
estimates possible.
This also helps us be better prepared
for each project, so we can get in, get the job done right, and turn the
property over to the responsible parties as quickly as possible.
We’ve learned that by having certain
information in advance helps our clients to make the most informed decisions
possible before they choose a biohazard cleaning service. Too many
“professionals” are careless with their estimates, quoting low bids up front
and subjecting their customers with “sticker shock” when the job is complete.
The following variables can turn a straightforward project into a very complicated, expensive unattended death cleaning job:
Lapsed time, pests, and extreme saturation
The length of time that’s passed between a death and its discovery is perhaps one of the most important factors in determining a project’s complexity. The longer a body decomposes, the more thoroughly biological material and gases permeate the area.
Insect pests attracted to the decomposition odors create their
own health hazards, and we’ve cleaned up properties in which thousands of
spiders have moved in to take advantage of the fly population.
Larvae gets into tight spaces,
flooring, furniture, and ventilation systems, where they either perish or shed
their telltale exoskeletons. Rodents, of course, leave behind feces and urine
that harbor their own bacteria and viruses.
Odors permeate textiles, but they also
cling to wall textures and porous structural materials. Paint doesn’t entirely
eliminate bad smells, and new carpeting and padding is rarely enough.
We use air scrubbing machines and non-toxic
chemicals to address the source of the odors; we don’t simply cover them up.
When necessary, we remove contaminated
furniture, carpeting, subflooring, and non-loadbearing structural elements that
cannot be safely sanitized.
Due to the unprecedented opioid crisis,
we’re responding to a large number of fentanyl-related unattended deaths.
Sadly, these tend to happen after the addicted person has become physically and
socially isolated from friends and family.
It affects people of all ages, social
status, and financial standing, in the best neighborhoods as much as the worst.
Death by gunshot and other physical violence
Gunshot wounds vary depending on caliber and the distance between
the body and the muzzle when the firearm was discharged. With larger cartridges
and shotgun deaths, blood, bone, brain, and tissue can travel great distances.
Often, blood turns to mist and enters
ventilation systems. Solid material may fall behind furniture or lodge in
surfaces. It’s not up to law enforcement, EMS personnel, or the coroner to
locate and collect these materials when the body is removed from the premises,
though usually, medical professionals trained in biohazard handling will do
what they can.
Blunt force trauma (bludgeonings, beatings) and stabbings also result
in a great deal of blood dispersal. In fact, some of the most traumatic
projects we’ve attended have been homicides or assaults using bare fists.
Generally, physical altercations occur in multiple areas of a property,
spreading fluid-borne contaminants far beyond the actual death site.
Pre-death body condition
Pharmaceutical medications and illicit
drugs can affect odors emitted by the decomposing body as well as the breakdown
process. Obese bodies release higher quantities of oily fats that have their
own, unique strong odors.
Decomposition fluids left by emaciated
bodies, such as the elderly or those who have been sick for a great deal of
time, tend to be less voluminous and therefore not as difficult to clean.
Climate and weather
Ambient temperature and humidity play a
very large role in the decomposition process. Dry heat can desiccate a body,
while moist air speeds up putrefaction. Cold temperatures slow down the growth
of bacteria required to break down the body’s cells.
Modern,
energy-efficient buildings tend to keep insect and rodent pests away from
undiscovered bodies, but only if the windows and doors are kept closed. If
you’d like a more in-depth look into how temperature and exposure impacts our
unattended death cleanup strategy, you might like to read our recent article, “ How
A Human Body Decomposes: Know From A Biohazard Cleaner”.
Location on the
property
Where the
unattended death occurs is almost as important as how. Many suicides and
slip-and-fall deaths happen in bathrooms and kitchens, but cracks in grout and
leaks through floor vents can make a seemingly simple job a nightmare if we
have to access subflooring, joists, tile backboard, and studs.
Deaths on upper floors often leak and
spread throughout the structure below, requiring thorough sanitization before a
restoration contractor will allow their workers to make repairs.
Concrete floors and outdoor hardscaping
are surprisingly porous and prone to stains. We use absorbent material to soak
up fluids and solids before washing and sanitizing hard surfaces.
When the death affects complicated
machinery, including vehicles and industrial equipment, we clean and sanitize
moving parts and detect and eliminate all traces of fluids and solids.
Hoarding
In many cases, we’re called upon to
clean up a home in which debris has accumulated for quite some time. Usually,
hoarding is a symptom of mental distress, but sometimes people who are socially
isolated and suffering from physical illness have difficulty with household
hygiene.
We’re equipped to handle safe disposal
of biohazardous waste, including spoiled food in
refrigerators, human and pet feces, piled-up
garbage, and hypodermic needles.
We’re equipped for
any scenario
Our experienced field teams are
mentally and technically prepared to address any biohazard cleaning project.
They’re equipped with proprietary, non-toxic cleaning solutions and techniques,
and follow a comprehensive checklist that ensures that our protocols meet or
exceed guidelines set forth by OSHA, EPA, and the CDC.
Our highest standard is your
expectation for a safe and sanitary property so you can be one step closer to
peace of mind. If you need Bio Recovery’s industry-leading death cleaning
services. We’ll do our part to make your life easier in this difficult time.
The entertainment
industry refers to us as “crime scene cleanup” companies, and while we do clean
everything from blood and tissue to fingerprint dust and tear gas, our job
description also covers the other common causes of death. These include:
Services Offered By BioMart
Cleaners:
Call Toll Free- 18886291222
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