Doing the “Dirty” Job: A Thorough Look on the Crime Scene Clean Up Industry

Tatiana Bonneau
Sep 3, 2018 · 8 min read

There are messes that you CAN clean up even with your eyes closed (e.g. water spills, crumpled papers, candy wrappers)

But there are messes that you WANT to clean up with your eyes closed (e.g. bodily leaks, blood smudge, decomposing corpse)

Only one business braved the horrific scene that comes after death.

They are the leaders in the Crime Scene Cleanup industry. They are the ones putting the home back in order after an inhumane tragedy. They live by the motto “Help First, Business Second” daily in order to help people in their greatest time of need. They are the one doing the clean-up job when no one else would. They are the Bio-One Cleaners, and they are the last people standing to clean up the mess too horrible for everyone.

We have been taken aback not just once, but 4 times with their highly interesting AMA Sessions going in-depth with their lesser-known, yet critical job most of us don’t know about. Now, we’re having a peek at how serious, and even life-threatening their work can be as see how it is like to clean up a mess of biohazards — just an hour after a crime.

BIO-ONE: AN OVERVIEW

Whenever the unimaginable occurs, suicide and life-threatening crimes to be specific, Bio-One usually gets the call to remediate the scene. Their crime and trauma cleaning services include cleanups for biohazard, blood, hoarding, animal waste, decomposition, undiscovered death, suicide, homicide, feces, and bodily fluids. They have seen a fair share of nauseating scenes, smells, and items, but with their mission as specialists in Biohazard disinfection, sanitization, and decontamination, but at the end of the day, it is the fulfillment of erasing the traces of the tragic event away from sight that matters the most.

FAST FACTS

Business idea origin:

“Founder and former C.E.O. Nick Zamucen created Bio-One. He saw a need for BioHazard cleanup and sought to create a business that would not only help the families of tragedy but provided a profitable business for the franchise owners as well.”

Core values:

Our business motto is Help First, Business Second. We want to make sure we do the job first. We don’t expect a payment right up front. That is so tacky in our opinion. If there is a financial strain, we can usually find some way to work things out. We have never left a job or family to their own due to financial reasons. People over profits, am I right?”

Preferred employee qualities:

“A tough stomach is a must! LOL. But above all someone who is compassionate and willing to go above and beyond for the clients and community of the business in which we serve.”

Competitive advantage:

“Professionalism and our high standard of training! We are close-knit in the Bio-One community and do our best to bring our best to the communities that we serve nationwide.”

Average response time:

“Average response time is an hour or less. The time it takes to complete a job varies on how extensive the damage is to the home or property. No two jobs are the same.”

Emotional and physical trauma safety precaution:

Emotional: “We always like to play the game, Hunting for the Good Stuff! We are always looking on the positive side of any given situation. With a death of any kind, Bio-One looks at this as an opportunity to help this family by alleviating some of the stress.”

Physical: “Wearing proper PPE and having extensive training and certifications, while following all OSHA and EPA regulations. Bio-One Tampa has an awesome Instagram where you can see all the PPE we wear.”

Traditional cleaning vs crime scene cleaning primary differences:

The types of chemicals, the cleaning process, then training. There much more to it than simply wiping a counter down with a wash rag and calling it good. You need to make sure you are cleaning everything and making the environment a clean, healthy, livable space again.”

Importance of decontamination:

“It is important because you want to keep the people and community safe. It is a huge liability for public places and Apartment Industries to not have a Biohazard cleaned by licensed professionals. There are all sorts of diseases and contaminants that could be left behind if not cleaned properly.”

HOARDING, SUICIDE, AND CRIME SCENES VS. BIO-ONE

ON HOARDING

Bio-One understands that a hoarding matter is a deeply emotional and challenging time in the lives of all parties involved, and many times affects all aspects of a persons’ life. In many cases, the family members and loved ones of a hoarder often feel helpless and unable to cope with this situation and do not know how or where to even begin to look for help. This is where Bio-One can step in help remediate the scene, so the Hoarder and their families can get back on track and take control.

Here’s what you need to know:

Cause of hoarding: “In a lot of the cases we have seen, there always seems to be some sort of personal trauma involved. Whether it is a death of a loved one, divorce, empty nesters, etc. Anything that a huge impact on the person’s life can lead them to hoard.”

Risks of hoarding: “There can be so many health problems associated with hoarding. Everything from respiratory illnesses to broken limbs. There could be pests, rodents, mold, spoiled food, and/or animals feces all contributing to their health. Then, there’s the factor of them tripping all over their things and breaking limbs. We have seen all sorts of physical ailments associated with hoarding.”

Misconceptions about hoarding: “A common misconception we see a lot is that people seem the think the hoarder likes to live this way and if they wanted it to be cleaned, then they would just do it. But, that’s not entirely true. Hoarding is a Mental Illness and like any mental illness, it takes time, care, help, and support to make it through.”

Processes involved in hoarding remediation: “There is cleaning, disinfecting, sorting, boxing, room layout, and much more. The number of people its takes usually depends on the how big the job is.”

The most challenging part in hoarding remediation: “For some, it is all the physical labor, for others, it’s dealing with potential confrontation from the Hoarder/Collector. Sometimes, for myself, it is seeing the home and feeling such sadness or heartache that someone was living in the home in these conditions.”

ON SUICIDE

Suicides are on the rise. Why is that? What to do about it? How can you prevent it? We always have a hard time doing these cleanups. The hard decision someone made to take their own life, it’s always heartbreaking and tragic! But, what they don’t see is the pain left behind amongst their loved ones.

Here’s what you need to know:

Warning signs of suicide: “Sometimes they are warnings, sometimes not! But, I think being willing to talk about suicide more openly, leaves the door open for someone to be more forthcoming about their intentions and thought process.”

Skills needed in a suicide cleanup: “To be empathic to the situation at hand, but not to be heavily-emotionally invested. This can put a lot of emotion strained on the cleaner. Along with following proper procedures and training, so as to not put themselves, client, or property at risk.”

Regulations to follow strictly: “Bio-One trains every owner/worker on staff with in-house training, along with following guidelines from OSHA and EPA regulations.”

Tips on raising public awareness: “You yourself can be an advocate in talking about it! Social Media is an amazing tool, but always destructive. Posts about elaborate vacations, diamonds, private jets, and expensive clothing. We are living to compete with the Jones’, not realizing the Jones’ are probably broke themselves while trying to compete with the Smiths, etc. Live for yourself, not others! Self-love is far more important anyhow.”

ON CRIME SCENES

When Bio-One arrives on the crime scene, we are usually there quickly after the Police have cleared the scene. Each and every person grieves differently, so it’s imperative that you can handle a variety of emotions. We always take that into consideration and never take things personally. We always try to remain professional, caring, empathic, and informative about what we are there to do and accomplish!

Here’s what you need to know:

Disposal method: “Everything that is considered a BioHazard is taken to an incinerator and is properly disposed of. And on that note, ALWAYS hire a company who is licensed, insured, and bonded. Protect your property and yourself.”

A sense of fulfillment: “The main fulfillment is being able to help the surviving family members in some small way. Bio-One cleaning doesn’t solve everything, but in a small way, we are helping to ease the pain and trauma associated with the passing of their loved one.”

The biggest challenge in a crime scene cleanup: “The trauma at each scene is different, so just trying the best, most efficient way to remediate the scene to reduce hazard and health to the workers. It’s almost like a puzzle, trying to make sense of how best to clean up the scene while following all the rules of safety!”

Whenever you pick up a broom and think you’re too tired to clean up, just remember that there are people out there doing a much dirtier job than you. Crime Scene Cleanup businesses such as Bio-One might be unheard of, but just so know that in one phone call, they’ll just be one hour away from wherever help is needed.


Originally published at amafeed.com.

Tatiana Bonneau

Written by

Real college dropout genius, hard code nostalgic, former fetus, elf in denial, communist leftover

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