Biohazard cleanup in Tacoma is done by independent private companies that a family, landlord or property manager hires directly. A biohazard is blood, a body fluid or another material that can carry germs that cause disease. If police or the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office1 (the county office that investigates certain deaths) are involved, first wait for them to release the property, then contact a cleanup company.
Biohazard Network does not do this work. We connect you with an independent local company that serves Tacoma, and you hire that company directly. This page explains what happens first and which service fits your situation.
City offices handle permits and code in Tacoma
Tacoma is an incorporated city, created by the territorial legislature on 12 November 1875. Whether the property is in Hilltop, near Point Defiance Park or by the Commencement Bay waterfront, permits and code questions go to the city’s Planning and Development Services. Its Regulatory Compliance division works for a safe, clean, livable environment for residents and has two parts, Permit Compliance and Code Compliance. If cleanup turns into removing flooring, drywall or other building materials, ask the company whether a permit is needed and who will apply for it.
Getting a company to a Tacoma address
A company coming from Gig Harbor crosses the SR 16 Tacoma Narrows Bridge, since Gig Harbor sits on Gig Harbor Bay across the bridge from Tacoma. The bridge is tolled only for trips headed to Tacoma, so ask whether travel costs are part of the estimate. For a home near the Washington State Ferries Point Defiance terminal, at the end of North Pearl Street where it becomes SR 163, tell the company where a work vehicle can park.
When a death happens at home in Tacoma
Deaths here are investigated by the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office1, (253) 798-6494. The office 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, those include sudden deaths of people in apparent good health who had no medical attendance in the 36 hours before, deaths from unknown causes, and any death caused by violence.
Scene release is the point when police or the medical examiner finish their work and hand the property back. No cleanup can begin before then, so ask the investigator when it will happen. After release, sooner is better, because contamination can soak further into floors and walls over time.
The office has legal authority to perform an autopsy without family permission, so ask the investigator what to expect before setting funeral plans. Its written reports may not be ready until months after the examination, and family members do not pay for one copy; cleanup does not need to wait for them. If you are looking for a personal item, start with the funeral home, since the office releases belongings other than money to the funeral home the legal next of kin chooses.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department2, (253) 649-1500, is also where you reach its Duty Officer to report a public health emergency. Its Infectious Waste Management program permits and inspects businesses that generate, transport or treat infectious waste, so ask any cleanup company where the waste from your property will go. Sharps are needles, syringes, lancets and blades that can cut or puncture skin. If you find them, the department’s Safely Remove Discarded Sharps brochure explains what to do, and the department offers a sharps response kit.
Cleanup services in Tacoma
Choose the service that matches what happened. Each page goes into more detail.
Unattended death cleanup
An unattended death is one where a person died alone and was not found right away. Unattended death cleanup in Tacoma covers cleaning and disinfection of the affected area after release. Disinfection means using products that kill germs on surfaces.
Crime and trauma scene cleanup
Crime and trauma scene cleanup in Tacoma is for a home, vehicle or business after a violent event, a serious accident or an injury. It also covers cleanup after a person has died by suicide. You can ask the company to work quietly and keep details private.
Hoarding cleanup
Hoarding is a recognized condition, not a personal failing. Hoarding cleanup in Tacoma helps make a home safe again for a person who hoards, or for your parent. Ask the company how it will sort items, so the person living in the home can keep what matters and decide what to let go.
Blood and bodily fluid cleanup
Blood and bodily fluid cleanup in Tacoma is for spills of blood or other body fluids after an injury, illness or accident. Bloodborne pathogens are germs carried in blood that can cause disease, which is why cleanup workers wear protective equipment. Porous materials, such as carpet, padding and drywall that soak up liquid, may need to be removed rather than cleaned.
Odor removal
Odor removal means fixing a problem at its source. Odor removal in Tacoma deals with odors that remain after a death, a spill or a home closed up for a long time, by treating the cause instead of covering it.
Sewage and biohazard waste cleanup
Sewage and biohazard waste cleanup in Tacoma covers sewage backups and removal of biomedical waste. In Washington, biomedical waste is a legal term limited to the types listed in state law, such as discarded human blood and sharps waste. For a home on a septic system, the health department2 has a Septic System Failure program.
Some homes also need water, fire or mold repair afterward. How biohazard cleanup fits with water, fire and mold restoration explains how that work connects.
Checking a company before you hire
Before you hire, ask how the company’s workers follow OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup from the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification), and look the business up yourself in the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries3 (L&I) tool, Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business3. The certifications guide explains what each of these means and how to read what you find.
Questions to ask when you call
Homeowners insurance sometimes covers this work, so call your insurer as well. Then ask each company:
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)
- Can I get a written estimate before work begins?
- Will you work with my insurer, and how do you bill?
- Can your vehicles and workers be discreet?
- How will you handle photos, papers and other personal items?