Blood and other bodily fluids in Tacoma are cleaned up safely by an independent cleanup company whose crew wears protective gear, removes materials the fluid soaked into, disinfects what stays, and sends the waste to regulated disposal. First, make sure any area that police or the medical examiner were called to has been released. Biohazard Network does not do this work; we can connect you with an independent local company that you hire directly.
If this follows an injury, a fall, a medical emergency or a death, it is normal to feel shaken. This page explains what to do first and how the work unfolds, so you can make decisions calmly.
What this service covers
This page is about smaller or contained incidents, such as an injury at home, a medical emergency, an attended death or a fall. It also covers places beyond homes: cars, shops and offices. A biohazard is biological material, such as blood, that can carry disease. Blood can carry bloodborne pathogens, which are germs that cause illnesses such as hepatitis B. Safety rules treat OPIM, short for other potentially infectious materials, meaning certain other body fluids, with the same care as blood.
Visible cleanup is not enough. Fluids soak into porous materials, which are materials with tiny openings that absorb liquid, such as carpet padding, drywall, upholstery and car seats. A surface can look clean while contamination stays underneath.
If this happened at a business, Washington’s bloodborne pathogens rules protect employees who might be exposed, so do not ask staff to clean it up if they have not been trained for it.
What to do first
Get medical help for anyone who needs it. If police or the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office1 came to the property, they control the area until scene release, the point when they say they are finished and others may enter and work. A medical examiner is a county official who investigates certain deaths; this office determines cause and manner of death and investigates deaths in Pierce County that fall under its jurisdiction. If a death was involved and you have questions, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office can be reached at (253) 798-6494.
Until a company has seen the area:
- Keep people and pets out, and close the door if you can.
- Do not clean, scrub or vacuum, and do not throw belongings away yet.
- Note what was affected, such as a room, a chair or a vehicle, for your insurer.
- Do not pick up sharps, meaning needles, syringes, lancets and blades. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department2 publishes a brochure called Safely Remove Discarded Sharps and offers a sharps response kit.
The cleanup process, step by step
Ask the company to walk you through each stage before work begins, so nothing surprises you.
Assessment
The crew inspects where fluid reached, including hidden spots such as under flooring or inside a seat cushion. Ask for a written plan of what will be removed and cleaned, along with a written estimate.
Containment
Containment means closing off the work area so nothing spreads to the rest of the home, vehicle or workplace. Crew members wear protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection and coveralls.
Removing porous materials
Materials that absorbed fluid and cannot be reliably cleaned are cut out and bagged. In a house this may be a section of carpet and pad; in a car, it may be seat fabric or foam. Ask the company to show you what it wants to remove and to check with you before it takes anything you value.
Cleaning and disinfection
Hard surfaces are cleaned, then disinfected. Disinfection means applying a product that kills germs, a step beyond ordinary cleaning. If an odor lingers once the source is gone, ask about odor remediation in Tacoma.
Disposal of biomedical waste
Biomedical waste is a legal category: RCW 70A.228.010 limits it to the types it lists, which include discarded human blood, materials holding free-flowing blood, and sharps waste. State rules for companies that collect and haul biomedical waste require it to stay separate from other solid waste until it is treated or disposed of. Ask the company which removed materials count as biomedical waste and who will haul and treat them. In this county, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department2’s Infectious Waste Management program permits and inspects businesses that generate, transport or treat infectious waste.
Final check and records
Walk through the area with the company before the crew leaves. Ask for written records and photos of what was removed, cleaned and disposed of, for your insurer or the property owner. Homeowners insurance sometimes covers this work, so ask your insurer early what it needs. If repairs or water damage are also involved, read how biohazard cleanup fits with water, fire and mold 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: 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 exclude4.
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)5
Checking the company you hire
Before you hire anyone, ask how the company’s 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 IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification), a non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. You can also look the business up yourself with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool called Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and the certifications guide explains what each of these means.
Blood cleanup in Tacoma and Pierce County
Tacoma was incorporated by the territorial legislature on 12 November 1875, and as an incorporated city it has its own permit and code department. If removing drywall or flooring leads to repairs, Tacoma’s Planning and Development Services is the department to know; its Regulatory Compliance division, made up of Permit Compliance and Code Compliance, works for a safe, clean, livable environment for residents.
For public health questions, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department2 can be reached at (253) 649-1500. If your family also needs help at a property on Ketron Island, leaving the island on the county ferry needs a reservation at least 60 minutes ahead, so ask the company how it would plan that trip.
Other Tacoma pages may fit your situation better: unattended death cleanup, crime and trauma scene cleanup and sewage and biohazard waste cleanup. For local offices, see biohazard and trauma cleanup in Tacoma and biohazard and trauma cleanup in Pierce County.
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.
- Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (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.