What do we mean by biohazard in terms of death cleanup?

Usually we mean blood, blood products, and other potentiall infectious materials (OPIM). To qualify as a biohazard, usually, blood must be wet, moist, or dried and flaky. For example, anytime a fabric or other object capable of holding blood can be compressed and blood comes out, it is biohazardous. Likewise, moist blood also qualifies as biohazardous. This is so because moist blood may rub off onto an open wound when death cleanup takes place. Most usually in Arizona's dry hot weather, blood does not remain wet or moist for long. Under certain conditions, though, blood will remain wet or moist for days.

What sort of conditions keep blood wet or moist in Arizona's dry weather? Often a homicide, suicide, or unattended death causes a great quantity of blood to soil the death scene. As a result blood may migrate along a floor to a wall. Sometimes blood seeps between walls and flooring. Sometimes when a vinyl-like floor surface rests upon another older vinyl-like surface, blood will seep between these two layers. Between these two layers blood remains wet or moist for a prolonged period of time. I cannot say how long because every such environment has its differences.

Usually death cleanup practitioners face dried, flaky blood when cleaning up blood in Arizona. Here contamination follows from airborne blood contacting eyes, inhalation, and entering the digestive tract through the mouth.

Arizona death cleanup involves odors and and insect contamination in a fairly short time because of heat. These problems take time to resolve. During cleaning there are no short-cuts. Thorough cleaning must take place and complete disinfection -- sanitizing, must take place.

Always wear gloves if you must work near biohazard materials. Usining etc., you can use household rubber gloves." Wear protection over eyes, nose, and mouth. Have a safe means of exit and a place to decontaminate yourself and clothing.

I use rubber gloves when working near flaked blood. I place paper towels over blood (wet or moist too) and lightly mosten with a disinfectant (bleach) from frome a few feet away. It's important not to spash blood. Splashing blood accounts for the second most risk from blood in our nation's hospitals. Needle stick comes in first place for injuries to medical staff, which number about 200 deaths a year from bloodborne pathogens like HIV and Hepatitis C.

In any case, make wide, misting applications to the paper towels' surface. Here, as elsewhere, a bleach and water solution at least to a strength of 1:10 will help to nutrailize pathogens, germs; before removing blood, ensure that it is moist enough not to flake, but not dripping.

Once dried, if not flaked, blood soiled paper towel may be discarded in most county landfills. It's best to check with your landfill operatiors before doing so, though. TOP

Keep in mind that working near blood requires a universally considered infectious approach. This means whatever its source, blood is infectious no matter where. So this information must temper information in previous paragraphs. Again, contain blood from afar; disinfect it. Pour blood down the sanitary sewer if you are not going to seal it for transfer.

Thoroughly wash hands.

See Blood Cleanup 1, blood cleanup 2, and blood cleanup 3.

OSHA 1910.1030(d)(1)

General. Universal precautions shall be observed to prevent contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials. Under circumstances in which differentiation between body fluid types is difficult or impossible, all body fluids shall be considered potentially infectious materials. (return)

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