Biohazard cleanup in Puyallup is done by independent private companies that you hire directly. If someone has died or been badly hurt, the first step is to let police or the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office1 finish their work and release the home. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company; we do not do the cleanup or any part of the work.
A biohazard is blood, body fluid or other material that could carry germs and make someone sick. This page explains which offices are involved in Puyallup, what to do before cleanup starts, and which service fits what you are facing.
What happens first
Do not clean or move anything until the scene is released. Scene release means the investigating agency tells you it is finished and you may go back in. After that, starting sooner is better, because contamination left in place can soak deeper into floors and walls.
A medical examiner is a county official who investigates certain deaths to learn why and how they happened. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office1 determines the cause and manner of death and investigates deaths in the county that fall under its jurisdiction and concern public health, safety and welfare. Under RCW 68.50.010, that authority covers deaths such as the sudden death of someone who seemed healthy and had no medical care in the 36 hours before, or a death from an unknown cause.
Here is what that means for your family. The office may perform an autopsy without family permission, and the written report may not be ready until months later. Your loved one’s belongings, other than money, go to the funeral home the legal next of kin chooses, so picking a funeral home also helps you get those items back. If you request reports, the fee for one copy is waived for family. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office1 can be reached at (253) 798-6494, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, except holidays.
Health department programs that may apply
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department2’s Infectious Waste Management program permits and inspects businesses that generate, transport or treat infectious waste, so it is fair to ask any company where its waste goes and who hauls it. Sharps are used needles, syringes, lancets and blades. If you find discarded sharps, the department’s Safely Remove Discarded Sharps brochure explains what to do, and the department also offers a sharps response kit. For a home on a septic system, look for its Septic System Failure information. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s main line is (253) 649-1500, which is also the number for the Duty Officer if you need to report a public health emergency.
Permits and code issues in Puyallup
Puyallup is an incorporated city, formed by a vote on 16 August 1890. That means permits and code questions here go to the city’s Development & Permitting Services, which includes a Code Enforcement division (the city also calls it the Code Compliance Division). Complaint forms are at the permit center in City Hall, and building code violations go to Puyallup Building Services. If cleanup means taking out flooring or drywall, ask the company whether a city permit is needed first.
This applies to any address in the city, whether downtown near Pioneer Park and the library, or near the Washington State Fair Event Center, Bradley Lake Park or the Puyallup Riverwalk Trail along the Puyallup River.
If the home is elsewhere in Pierce County
If you are also caring for a relative’s home on an island served by the Pierce County ferry, vehicles, drivers and passengers must be in position with tickets 20 minutes before departure or may not be allowed to board. Ask the company how it will plan around sailings. For other places, see Tacoma, Lakewood, Gig Harbor or the Pierce County page.
Choosing the right kind of cleanup
Unattended death
An unattended death is one where a person died alone and was not found right away. Unattended death cleanup includes disinfection, which means using products that kill germs on surfaces. It also includes removing porous materials, which are absorbent items like carpet, mattresses and drywall that cannot always be fully cleaned.
Crime and trauma scene
Crime and trauma scene cleanup is for a home or vehicle after violence, a serious accident, or a death by suicide, once police release the scene. If privacy matters to you, say so when you call and ask how the company will handle it.
Hoarding
Hoarding cleanup helps when a home has become hard or unsafe to live in. Hoarding is a recognized health condition, not a personal failing. Ask how the company sorts belongings and how it includes the person living in the home, or your parent, in deciding what to keep and what they decide to let go.
Blood and bodily fluids
Bloodborne pathogens are germs carried in blood, such as hepatitis B, that can spread disease. Blood and bodily fluid cleanup is for incidents like a fall, injury or illness where fluids reached floors, furniture or a car seat.
Odor removal
Odor removal means finding and removing the source of a problem rather than covering it up. Odor removal addresses odors that remain after a death, a hoarding cleanup or long-standing contamination.
Sewage and biohazard waste
Sewage and biohazard waste cleanup covers sewage backups and removing items such as used needles. Biomedical waste is the legal term for certain blood-related and medical waste; Washington limits it to types listed in state law, including discarded human blood and blood products, and sharps waste.
If water, fire or mold damage is also involved, read how biohazard cleanup fits with restoration.
What to ask before you hire
When you call a company, ask how its crew follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, which comes from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a non-profit group for the cleaning and restoration industries. Then look the business up yourself on the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries3 (L&I) tool called Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business3, and read what these checks mean before you sign.
Also ask for a written estimate, when work can start, whether its vehicles are marked, and how it works with your insurer. Homeowners insurance sometimes covers this kind of work, so call your insurance company and keep copies of anything you sign.
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 works4. 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 glossary5. Standard homeowner policies also do not cover sewer or drain backups, says the Commissioner’s page on being underinsured.
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)