Death cleanup, trauma and crime scene cleanup, and biohazard cleanup in Seattle are all handled by private companies, and some people call this work hazmat cleaning. Biohazard cleanup in Seattle is done by independent private companies that you hire directly. If someone has died, police or the King County Medical Examiner’s Office1 must finish their work and release the scene before any cleanup begins. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company that serves Seattle, and you hire that company yourself.
Biohazard Network does not do the cleanup and does not send anyone to your home. This page explains what happens first in Seattle, which public offices are involved, and which kind of cleanup fits what you found. A biohazard is any material, such as blood or other body fluids, that can carry germs that make people sick, which is why it is safer to leave this work to a company whose workers wear protective equipment.
Seattle is a city, so city offices handle permits and code
Seattle is an incorporated city, so permits and code issues go through the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), not the county. SDCI issues land use, construction, and trade permits and conducts housing-related inspections. If cleanup leads to removing and replacing flooring or walls, ask the company you hire whether a permit is needed. For landlords and property managers, SDCI’s Code Compliance section is the office that takes reports of code violations.
Getting a company to a Seattle address
When you contact a company, ask where its crew is based and how it will reach the property. Only two transportation facilities cross Lake Washington, the I-90 and SR 520 floating bridges, so a company coming from Mercer Island or the Eastside will use one of them. I-405 and SR 167 form the only north-south highway alternative to I-5 in the Puget Sound region, which can matter for a company traveling from the north or south. For a home in West Seattle, the Fauntleroy ferry terminal carries riders between West Seattle, Vashon Island and the Kitsap Peninsula, and Colman Dock is the Washington State Ferries terminal in Seattle. If a company is based across the water, ask how it plans to travel.
What happens first: the King County Medical Examiner’s Office
A medical examiner is a public office that looks into the cause of certain deaths. Here, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office1 investigates sudden, violent, unexpected, and suspicious deaths that occur in King County, and under RCW 68.50.010 jurisdiction over the bodies in such deaths rests with the county medical examiner.
At the scene, the investigation includes photographs, evidence collection, and information from family and other witnesses. Answer what you can, and it is fine to say you need a moment. Scene release means police or the medical examiner have finished and the space may be entered and cleaned, so wait for it before a cleanup company starts work.
While the examination is under way, you will choose a funeral home or crematory. Families are asked to select a funeral home within 3 days, and personal effects collected in the investigation go there, so ask the funeral home about them. Viewing also happens at your funeral home, not at the office. Evidence that contributed to the death goes to the investigating law enforcement agency and is not released to the family. Families are not charged for the investigation or examination. For medicolegal death investigation, available 24/7, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office1 can be reached at 206-731-3232, ext. 5.
Public Health – Seattle & King County
Public Health – Seattle & King County2 is the health department for Seattle, and its main phone number is 206-296-4600. Biomedical waste is the legal term Washington uses for certain types of waste, including discarded human blood and sharps waste. Sharps are items like needles, syringes, lancets and blades.
The department also has pages on how to handle used or found sharps and on sewage releases in Seattle and King County. Its mold page offers education, but Public Health2 does not conduct mold assessments.
Choosing the right kind of cleanup
Unattended death cleanup
This is for a person who died alone and was not found right away. Disinfection means using products that kill germs on surfaces, and porous materials, like carpet and drywall, soak up fluids and may need removal. See unattended death cleanup in Seattle.
Crime and trauma scene cleanup
This covers cleanup after a violent event, a serious accident, or a death by suicide, once the scene is released. You only need to share what the company needs to plan the work. See crime and trauma scene cleanup in Seattle.
Hoarding cleanup
Hoarding is a recognized condition. This service helps when the person living in the home, perhaps your parent, has more belongings than can be safely lived with. Ask how the company will involve that person in deciding what to keep and what they let go. See hoarding cleanup in Seattle.
Blood and bodily fluid cleanup
This is for smaller incidents, such as an injury or illness at home, in a vehicle, or in a rental unit. See blood and bodily fluid cleanup in Seattle.
Odor removal
Odor removal means fixing the source of a problem rather than covering it up. This service treats odors that remain after a death or other event. See odor removal in Seattle.
Sewage and biohazard waste cleanup
This covers sewage backups, found needles and other biomedical waste inside a home or building. See sewage and biohazard waste cleanup in Seattle.
Before you hire
Homeowners insurance sometimes covers this work, so call your insurer early. Ask each company for a written estimate, what it includes, whether it can bill your insurer, and how it will keep the visit discreet. If there is also water or mold damage, read how biohazard cleanup fits with restoration.
Usually covered: Homeowner insurance protects your home and belongings from damage caused by specific risks, says the Insurance Commissioner’s page on how home insurance works3. Personal property coverage includes your furnishings and personal items, such as your TV, clothing and dishes, the same page says.
Usually not covered: Exclusions in home contracts may include certain events, such as flood or earthquake, says the Insurance Commissioner’s insurance glossary4. Standard homeowner policies also do not cover sewer or drain backups, says the Commissioner’s page on being underinsured5.
Ask your insurer: “Without filing a claim yet, can you tell me if my policy covers biohazard cleanup in my home, and what limits apply?” Source: Filing a homeowner insurance claim (Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner)
Ask the company how its workers follow OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, which protects workers from germs carried in blood, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a non-profit for the cleaning and restoration industries. You can also look the business up with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and our certifications guide explains what each of these means.
For a property east of Lake Washington, see the Bellevue page, or the King County page for the rest of the county.