Blood Spill Cleanup: What’s a Safe Way to Go?
3 min read
There are instances when you are usually in a fix. Given the condition of things, it’s hard to call in a professional. One fine example is the case of a blood spill cleanup. Many property owners are saddled with the responsibility of cleaning blood residue, usually after a traumatic scene. In these conditions, you will need a quick fix and might not be able to get a call through for professional blood spill cleanup service. So what do you do?
Before you start the blood spill cleanup, you need to have two things in mind:
- Never forget that blood residue is highly contagious and could contain harmful microorganisms.
- Always protect yourself before starting any cleanup with the appropriate protective gear.
What Supplies Should You Have Handy?
To clean up blood or body fluid spills, you’ll need to have your protective and cleaning equipment handy. Though some large spills may require the expertise of a professional blood spill cleanup service, with special protective equipment, small spills can usually be cleaned safely following Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) kits.
These include gloves, facemasks, comfortable footwear, goggles, and many more.
You should have these materials handy before you attempt any blood spill cleanup.
How Should You Do A Blood Spill Cleanup Safely?
Cleaning up a blood spill scene will require a more meticulous process than a general cleanup. If you have OSHA’s minimum kits for doing a cleanup involving biohazards, and you follow safe cleanup principles, you should be able to safely do a small blood spill cleanup. The cleanup will differ slightly based on the surface that has been involved.
For example, for hard floors such as tiles, cemented floors, metals, and woods, the blood will spread fast over the surface and you should be quick to contain the spill. Try to prevent people from getting into the scene to avoid widespread contamination. Next action to take is to put on your protective equipment. If you have personal protective equipment, put it on. Make sure you wear disposable gloves, a face mask, and a face shield. Wipe off the blood spill effectively from every surface it has covered with clean absorbent material. After that, disinfect the area gently by using an effective disinfectant.
Allow the bleach solution to stay on the surface for about 15-20 minutes and then wipe off the solution from the surface with a clean paper towel.
Apart from the surface, you should also disinfect other cleaning materials such as brooms, towels, rags, brushes, mops, vacuums, and more. These materials should be dipped into a solution of bleach and left for 20 minutes before sun drying. When you’re through with the cleaning, you should pull off your gloves gently and dispose of them, along with other cleaning materials, into a disposable bag. Put the disposable bag into another bag to secure it and then discard it safely. Wash your hands adequately with soap and water and dry off with a clean towel.
Nonetheless, you’re advised to always seek the services of a professional blood spill cleanup service.
