Blood and body fluids in an Everett home are treated as biohazards because they can spread germs. Blood or other bodily fluid in Everett is cleaned up safely by a specialized cleanup company that protects its workers, seals off the area, removes soaked materials, disinfects what is left and sends the waste to regulated disposal. First, make sure anyone who was hurt has care, and if police or the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office1, the county office that determines the cause and manner of sudden or unexpected deaths, are involved, wait until they release the space. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company that you hire directly; we do not do the cleanup ourselves.
If you are facing this after a fall, an injury or a medical emergency, you do not have to handle it yourself. A biohazard is biological material, such as blood, that can carry disease.
What blood and bodily fluid cleanup covers
This service is for smaller or contained incidents: an injury or fall at home, a medical emergency, or an attended death, meaning a death that happened while the person was under medical care. It also covers places beyond homes, such as a car, a shop, an office or a boat. If the person was taken to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, which has an emergency department and a Level II Trauma Center, the place where it happened may still need cleaning.
Why wiping it up is not enough
Blood can carry bloodborne pathogens, which are germs in blood that can cause disease, such as hepatitis B. OPIM, short for “other potentially infectious materials,” is the term for other body fluids that can carry similar risk. Fluids also soak into porous materials, meaning surfaces with tiny openings, like carpet padding, upholstery, mattresses, drywall and unsealed wood. A surface can look clean on top while fluid stays underneath.
If it happened at a business
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has bloodborne pathogens rules that protect employees who could be exposed to blood on the job, so staff should not be asked to clean it up if they have not been trained and equipped for it. Close off the area and call a cleanup company.
What to do first, and what to leave alone
Care for anyone who was hurt comes first. If police responded, or if someone died suddenly or unexpectedly, the area is not yours to clean until it is released. Scene release means the officials in charge have finished their work and say the space can be cleaned. Investigators with the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office1 are on duty around the clock at 425-438-6200.
While you wait:
- Keep children and pets out of the area.
- Do not scrub, mop, vacuum or shampoo anything, since that can spread fluid and push it deeper.
- Do not bag or throw out soaked items, and do not pick up sharps, meaning needles, syringes, lancets and other items that can puncture skin.
- If you can without touching anything, take photos for your insurance company.
The cleanup process, step by step
1. Assessment
The company inspects where fluid reached, including under flooring and inside furniture, and explains what can be cleaned and what must be removed. Ask for a written scope of work and estimate before you agree.
2. Containment
Containment means closing off the work area, for example with plastic sheeting, so contamination does not spread to the rest of the home, vehicle or building. Workers wear protective equipment such as gloves, coveralls and eye protection.
3. Removal of porous materials
Materials that fluid has soaked into, such as sections of carpet or drywall, are cut out and bagged when they cannot be reliably disinfected. Ask to be consulted before any personal item is removed.
4. Cleaning and disinfection
Disinfection means applying a product that kills germs on a surface after it has been cleaned. If an odor remains once the source is gone, ask about odor remediation in Everett.
5. Disposal of biomedical waste
Washington law2 defines biomedical waste by a fixed list that includes discarded human blood, materials containing free-flowing blood, and sharps waste. Ask who hauls it. A company that collects, transports and disposes of biomedical waste must keep a biomedical waste operating plan that keeps it separate from other solid waste until treatment or disposal. A solid waste collection company also needs a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission before hauling solid waste for pay.
6. Final check
Ask for a final walk-through and written records of what was removed and disinfected, with photos, since homeowners insurance sometimes covers this work. Ask up front whether the company can bill your insurer or expects payment from you.
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
How to check a company
Before you hire anyone, 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 IICRC, the 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 L&I’s Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool, and the certifications guide explains what each of these means.
Local information for Everett
Everett is a first-class charter city. If cleanup means removing drywall, subfloor or other building materials that then need rebuilding, Permit Services (City of Everett Public Works) processes all required permits for construction in the city, so ask whoever does the repairs whether one is needed.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office1 publishes a Biohazard Cleanup Services list of businesses. The office says the list is for convenience only and is not comprehensive, that inclusion or exclusion is not an endorsement or disapproval, and that it does not assume responsibility for the quality of listed companies’ services. Its Information Guide for Families answers frequently asked questions about next steps and the office’s involvement.
The Snohomish County Health Department, Everett (Main Office) phone 425-339-5200, has program pages named Garbage & Waste, Hazardous Waste and Medicine Disposal. If medicines or needles were left elsewhere in the home, its Medicine Disposal page is the place to start.
If this happened on a boat at the Port of Everett Marina, mention it when you call. If the company is coming from the south, afternoon traffic often backs up on northbound I-405 near the I-5 interchange in Lynnwood, so ask for an arrival window rather than an exact time.
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.
- Snohomish County Medical Examiner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Snohomish 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.