Trauma clean up is a difficult job for many reasons. A trauma site is where an accident or violent act occurred, leading to injury or damaged property. Working under these conditions is inherently challenging due to the sensitive nature of these events. A trauma scene also requires a complex set of operations to ensure the cleaning crew remains safe and that the work is done professionally and efficiently.

What does a trauma cleaner do? This varies tremendously between projects, but the general process involves preparation, cleaning hazards, followed by conventional cleaning. Here is an overview of what each entail.

Trauma Clean Up Preparation

As the saying goes, preparation is key. Before trauma clean up technicians enter a site, they must first be equipped with all relevant PPE. This may include a face mask, gloves, goggles, or disposable outerwear. Any necessary equipment will also need to be assembled and calibrated before entering the scene.

How do trauma cleaners choose which protective equipment to use? This is partly determined by regulation. Organizations such as ABRA and OSHA dictate minimum safety standards when managing different types of risk. Beyond that, technicians use a combination of site-specific factors and intuition to determine what level of protection is needed.

Once the appropriate gear is equipped, technicians will assess the scene. For trauma clean up, it is often necessary to plan the order of operations. This is to verify that all hazards are addressed responsibly, and that work is completed efficiently.

Cleaning Hazards

The first priority for trauma clean up is addressing hazards. Many trauma sites involve bodily fluids such as blood and vomit. In addition to being unpleasant, this material can be a vector for rare and dangerous diseases. There is also a specialized procedure for disposing of any biohazardous waste.

In addition to biohazardous materials, a trauma site may involve other hazardous materials. This might include broken glass, chemical spills, or damaged machinery. Trauma clean up must be done in a manner that minimizes safety risk, meaning the strategy and approach will vary between locations.

Hazard cleaning is often completed before conventional cleaning starts to minimize the risk to technicians and simplify traditional cleaning work.

Cleaning and Repairs

Work isn’t done when the hazardous materials are addressed. Debris, dirt, and other mess may be found at the scene, which should be fully cleared. Heightened safety precautions may be relaxed for this portion of the project since significant hazards should be addressed by this point.

Repairs may also be required. Bullet holes, broken glass, or damaged drywall are common in trauma sites, especially those involving violent crime. Depending on the nature of the damage, a trauma clean up crew may be able to perform repairs. Subcontractors may also be used depending on the complexity of the work required.

Professionalism and Efficiency

In addition to the technical aspects of the job, trauma cleaners must navigate a complicated and emotional situation. Trauma scenes involve someone being seriously injured or dying. Respect, efficiency, and professionalism are essential to ensure family members, colleagues, or roommates are not upset by the work of the trauma clean up crew.

Discretion is also necessary. Neighbors can become nosy if they hear rumors of a traumatic event. Trauma clean up teams attempt to carry out their work in a manner that limits attention, allowing family members to maintain privacy if they choose to.

Trauma cases often involve law enforcement as well. Police must entirely process sites before any cleaning can be done. Trauma clean up teams may need to work with law enforcement to ensure cleaning can begin as quickly as possible after any investigations are complete.

Finding Trauma Clean Up Experts

Trauma clean up is technical and sensitive work and should be left to professionals. No one wants to be responsible for a trauma scene when they are related to a victim. It is emotional, stressful, and overwhelming. Working with a trauma cleaning crew means you can take part of the burden off your shoulders.

It is essential to work with professional trauma cleaners. Amateur cleaners may be unreliable, not be mentally trained to handle a scene or not completing the work to a high standard. It is critical to work with trauma clean up crews with the experience needed to handle high-priority cleaning projects.