Blood and other bodily fluids in Shelton are cleaned up safely by an independent biohazard cleanup company whose crew wears protective equipment, removes soaked materials, and disinfects what remains. Before that, anyone who is hurt gets medical care, and if police or the Mason County Coroner1 are involved, they must release the area first. Biohazard Network connects you with an independent local company that you hire directly; we do not clean anything or do any part of the work.
If you are dealing with this after an injury, a fall, or a medical emergency, it is normal to feel shaken. A biohazard is any biological material, such as blood, that can carry germs harmful to people.
Why ordinary cleaning is not enough
Blood can carry bloodborne pathogens, which are germs in blood that can cause serious disease in another person. Wiping until a surface looks clean does not reach what has soaked in. Porous materials are materials that absorb liquid, such as carpet and pad, upholstery, mattresses, drywall, unsealed wood, and car seats. Fluid can spread through them into layers you cannot see, whether the incident happened in a home, a vehicle, a shop, or an office.
If it happened at a business
If someone was hurt at your shop, office, or other workplace, do not ask employees to clean it up. Blood can carry disease, and the work calls for training and protective equipment that ordinary cleaning does not include. Close off the area and contact a cleanup company instead.
What happens first
Make sure anyone who needs medical help has it. If police came, they control the area until they release it. Scene release means the police or the coroner tells you the area may now be cleaned.
A coroner is the county official who investigates certain deaths. If someone died, the Mason County Coroner1 determines and certifies cause and manner of death for deaths in the county such as unattended deaths, sudden deaths of people in apparent good health who were not under a doctor’s care, and deaths from any unnatural cause. The Mason County Coroner can be reached at 360-427-9670 ext 752. If a death happened at home, see the unattended death cleanup page.
Until a company arrives:
- Do not scrub, wipe, or use household cleaners on the area.
- Do not throw away soaked items; they may need to be documented for insurance.
- Keep children and pets out of the room or vehicle.
- Leave needles or other sharps where they are and tell the company. Sharps are needles, syringes, lancets, and blades.
You do not need to move or sort anything first.
What to expect from the company you hire
Ask the company to explain its plan before work starts, including:
- Protective equipment. Workers wear gloves, eye protection, and other gear so blood does not reach their skin, eyes, or mouth.
- Odor work. Any lingering odor is treated after the source is removed; see odor remediation in Shelton.
- Waste hauling. Ask who will take the removed materials away and where they will go.
- Records. Ask for photos, a written scope of work, and a list of removed materials. Homeowners insurance sometimes covers this work, so ask whether the company will work with your insurer or whether you will.
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 works2. Personal property coverage includes your furnishings and personal items, such as your TV, clothing and dishes, the same page says.
Usually not covered: Standard homeowner and renter policies exclude wear and tear: insurance covers sudden accidents, not ongoing issues, says the Insurance Commissioner’s smoke damage page, which lists what standard policies exclude3.
Ask your insurer: “Without filing a claim yet, can you tell me if my policy covers cleaning up blood or body fluids in my home, and what limits apply?” Source: Steps to take after home damage or a loss (Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner)4
Before you hire, ask whether the company follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard5, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup (the IICRC is a non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries), and look the business up yourself with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) lookup, Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business. Biohazard Cleanup Certifications Explained describes what these names mean and what that lookup shows.
The cleanup process, step by step
Each job is different, but a careful cleanup follows a clear order. Ask the company to walk you through it:
- Assessment. The crew checks how far fluid has traveled into floors, walls, or seats and tells you what it plans to remove.
- Containment. Containment means sealing off the work area so contamination does not spread to other rooms.
- Removal of porous material. Soaked carpet, upholstery, drywall, or vehicle parts are cut out and packaged. Ask which items will be removed, so nothing you want to keep goes without your agreement.
- Cleaning and disinfection. Remaining hard surfaces are cleaned, then disinfected. Disinfection means using a product that kills germs.
- Disposal of biomedical waste. In Washington, biomedical waste is a legal term for specific types of waste, including discarded human blood, materials containing free-flowing blood, and sharps waste such as used needles and syringes. A company that collects, transports, and disposes of it must keep a biomedical waste operating plan that keeps it separate from other solid waste and lets only authorized people handle it.
- Final check. The crew walks the area with you or someone you choose and confirms the work is done. Ask for a written record of this check.
If a crime or violent injury was involved, the crime and trauma scene cleanup page covers the added steps.
Blood cleanup in Shelton and Mason County
Shelton is an incorporated city. If removing materials leaves a floor or wall that needs rebuilding, note that the City of Shelton’s Community and Economic Development department reviews development applications for code compliance and operates the city’s Code Enforcement division.
The county health department is Mason County Public Health and Human Services, at 360-427-9670 ext. 869. Its guidance says home-generated needles and syringes may go in regular household garbage if contained in a firm plastic container sealed with duct tape and labeled “SHARPS, DO NOT RECYCLE”; at an injury site, leave needles for the cleanup company. Its Solid Waste Program, part of Environmental Health, states that owners, operators, and occupants are responsible for legal disposal of solid waste accumulated on the property, which is one more reason to keep a written record of where removed materials went.
SR 3 between Shelton and Belfair is mostly a two-lane undivided highway, with turn lanes and signals through Shelton and Belfair, so if a company is coming from the Belfair side, ask when it can arrive. For more on this area, see the Shelton page and the Mason County page.
Who to call first
In an emergency, call 911.These official offices may be part of the first steps. They are government pages, not ours.
- Mason County Coroner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Mason County Public Health (opens in a new tab)For local health questions, such as a home that was used as a drug lab.
- Washington Crime Victims Compensation Program (L&I) (opens in a new tab)If a crime happened, it may help with some costs, such as funeral expenses. It doesn't pay for cleanup.
- Verify a contractor (L&I lookup) (opens in a new tab)Look up whether a company is a registered contractor before work starts.
- Washington State Department of Health (opens in a new tab)State health rules, such as for drug lab cleanup and hantavirus.