Biohazard cleanup in Lakewood, WA is done by independent local cleanup companies that you hire directly. If someone has died or been hurt, the first step is to let the police or the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office1 finish their work and release the property before any cleaning starts. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company; we do not do the cleanup ourselves.
A biohazard is biological material, such as blood or other body fluids, that can carry germs that cause disease. Removing it safely takes protective gear, careful handling and proper disposal, so this work belongs with a cleanup company rather than with family members.
Lakewood and who handles what
Lakewood is an incorporated city, so permits go through the city. Its Planning and Public Works Department performs permitting, building inspections and development review. If cleanup leads to repairs, such as replacing flooring or drywall, ask the company whether a permit is needed and confirm with that department before rebuilding starts.
This page is for any address in Lakewood, whether you know the city by Harry Todd Park in the Tillicum neighborhood, American Lake Park on the north shore of American Lake, Fort Steilacoom Park or Wards Lake Park. Lakewood is the host community to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) and Camp Murray, and the Western State Hospital campus is in the city too. For other parts of the county, see biohazard and trauma cleanup in Pierce County. On your first call, ask a company where its crew is based and when it can reach your address.
What happens first after a death
A medical examiner is a county office that looks into certain deaths to learn why they happened. Here, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office1 determines the cause and manner of death and investigates deaths in Pierce County that are under its jurisdiction and of concern to public health, safety and welfare. Under RCW 68.50.010, that jurisdiction includes sudden deaths of people in apparent good health with no medical attendance in the 36 hours before death, deaths from unknown causes, and any death caused by violence.
Scene release means the police or the medical examiner have finished their work and the property can be entered and cleaned. Wait for that release before any company starts, and ask the investigator when to expect it.
The office’s family guidance also bears on the days that follow. Personal property other than money is released to the funeral home the legal next of kin chooses, so the funeral home is the place to ask about items your loved one had with them. The office has authority to perform an autopsy without family permission, and postmortem reports may not be ready until months after the examination. If an insurer asks for a report, know that the fee for one copy is waived for family members. You can reach the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office1 at (253) 798-6494.
The local health department
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department2 serves Lakewood. Its Infectious Waste Management program permits and inspects businesses that generate, transport or treat infectious waste, so ask any company how the waste from your property will be hauled and treated. Sharps are needles, syringes, lancets and blades that can cut or puncture skin; the department’s Safely Remove Discarded Sharps brochure and the sharps response kit it offers can help if you find them. To report a public health emergency, call the Duty Officer at the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department at (253) 649-1500.
Cleanup services in Lakewood
Each service below has its own page. Pick the one closest to what you found; a company can tell you if more than one applies.
Unattended death cleanup
When a person dies at home and is not found right away, the room needs more than ordinary cleaning. Unattended death cleanup in Lakewood covers removing affected porous materials, meaning materials that soak up liquid, such as carpet, padding, mattresses and drywall. Then the remaining surfaces are cleaned and disinfected; disinfection means using products that kill germs.
Crime and trauma scene cleanup
Crime and trauma scene cleanup in Lakewood is for a home, vehicle or business after a violent crime, a serious accident, or after someone has died by suicide. Work starts only after law enforcement releases the scene. Ask the company to set aside any items you may want to keep.
Hoarding cleanup
Hoarding cleanup in Lakewood helps when belongings have filled a home to the point that it is hard or unsafe to live in. Hoarding is a recognized condition, and a respectful plan sorts belongings with the person living in the home, keeps what matters, and removes only what the person decides to let go. Landlords may find the health department2’s Healthy Housing tenant and landlord resources useful, though that is not a hoarding complaint program.
Blood and bodily fluid cleanup
Blood and bodily fluid cleanup in Lakewood covers events such as an injury, a fall or an illness where blood or other fluids reached floors, furniture or a car. Bloodborne pathogens are germs carried in blood, such as hepatitis B, that can spread disease. OPIM, short for other potentially infectious materials, means certain other body fluids that can carry the same germs.
Odor removal
Odor removal means finding and removing the cause of a problem, not just covering it up. Odor removal in Lakewood treats odors that remain after a death or a sewage problem, once the source has been removed. Ask the company how it will confirm the odor is gone.
Sewage and biohazard waste cleanup
Sewage and biohazard waste cleanup in Lakewood covers sewage backups, overflowing drains and items like used needles. If a septic system has failed, the health department2 has a Septic System Failure program. Where water has soaked walls or floors, how biohazard cleanup fits with restoration explains how the two kinds of work connect.
Questions to ask before you hire
You do not have to decide on the first call. Ask each company:
- When can it come, and what will the first visit include?
- Will it give you a written estimate before work starts?
- Will it work with your homeowners insurance, which sometimes covers this work?
- How will it keep the work discreet for you and your neighbors?
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)
Before you hire, ask how the company trains its crew under OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and whether its work follows the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, a voluntary industry standard from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). You can also search the business in the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) lookup called Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and the certifications guide explains what each check means.