Blood or other bodily fluid in Lacey is cleaned up safely by an independent biohazard cleanup company: its crew wears protective gear, removes materials the fluid has soaked into, disinfects what can stay, and sends the waste out through a regulated hauler. If a death is involved, police or the Thurston County Coroner’s Office1 may first need to release the scene; if no one has died, you can contact a company as soon as you are ready. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company that you hire directly.
Finding blood after a fall, an injury or a medical emergency is upsetting, even when the person is now safe. Biohazard Network is a connector only. It does not clean, does not send anyone to your property, and does not do or oversee the work.
What this service covers
A biohazard is biological material, such as blood, that can carry disease. This service is for smaller or contained incidents: an injury at home, a fall, a medical emergency, or a death that happened while the person was under care. It also covers places other than homes, such as cars, trucks, shops and offices.
If the situation is a crime or a serious trauma scene, the crime and trauma scene cleanup page fits better. If someone died alone and was not found right away, see unattended death cleanup.
Why wiping it up is not enough
Bloodborne pathogens are germs carried in blood, such as the virus that causes hepatitis B, that can pass to a person through broken skin, the eyes or the mouth. Some other body fluids can carry the same risk, so they are handled the same careful way.
Porous materials are things with tiny spaces that soak up liquid, such as carpet and its pad, upholstery, mattresses, car seats, drywall and unsealed wood. A surface can look clean while fluid remains underneath or inside it. That is why the company you hire may recommend removing some materials rather than cleaning them, and why ordinary household cleaning is not a safe substitute.
If it happened at a business or in a vehicle
If an incident happened at your shop, office or other workplace, do not ask staff to clean it up. Blood can carry disease, and the work calls for training and protective equipment that most employees do not have. Keep people away from the area and close it off if you can.
The same goes for a car or truck. Avoid using the vehicle until it has been cleaned, and tell the company what kind of seats and flooring it has so the crew can plan.
What happens first
Scene release means police or the coroner have finished their work and allow people back into the area. A coroner is an official who investigates certain deaths. Here, the Thurston County Coroner’s Office1 investigates sudden, violent, unexpected and suspicious deaths in Thurston County, and its public phone is (360) 867-2140. If its staff or police are involved, wait for them to say the area is released.
If no one has died and no crime is involved, you do not need anyone’s permission to call a company. While you wait:
- Keep children and pets out of the area.
- Do not move soaked items or try to scrub stains.
- Do not pick up sharps. Sharps are used needles, syringes, lancets and blades, which may be left behind after a medical emergency.
Sooner is better, because fluid keeps soaking into porous materials over time.
The cleanup process, step by step
1. Assessment
The company looks at what was affected, including what may be hidden under flooring or inside furniture, and explains what it plans to do. Ask for this plan in writing.
2. Containment
Containment means closing off the work area, often with plastic sheeting and barriers, so nothing spreads to clean rooms. The crew puts on protective equipment such as gloves, suits and eye protection before starting.
3. Removal of porous materials
Materials that cannot be made safe are cut out and bagged. Ask the company to show you what it plans to remove before it removes it, especially for belongings that matter to you.
4. Cleaning and disinfection
Disinfection means using products that kill germs on surfaces, not just removing what you can see. After the source is gone, the company may also treat any lingering odor; the odor remediation page explains that work.
5. Disposal of biomedical waste
Biomedical waste is a legal term for certain waste, including discarded blood, materials holding free-flowing blood, and sharps. It is hauled by a waste collection company regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission2 (UTC), which must keep biomedical waste separate from other solid waste and use only authorized, trained people to collect it. Ask which hauler the company uses.
6. Final check
The company walks through the area to confirm the cleaning is complete. Ask for photos, a written scope of work and an itemized invoice, since homeowners insurance sometimes covers this work and your insurer may want records. If walls or floors need rebuilding afterward, the biohazard and restoration page explains how that fits in.
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 a company before you hire
Ask the company 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, where the IICRC is the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a non-profit organization for the cleaning and restoration industries. Then look the business up yourself with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool, Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and read what these terms mean.
Local offices for Lacey and Thurston County
Lacey is an incorporated city, so city departments, not the county, handle building and code questions. If a property is inside city limits, for example near Woodland Creek Community Park on Pacific Avenue SE or near Saint Martin’s University, the Community and Economic Development Department handles land use and construction permitting. Ask the company whether replacing removed drywall or flooring will need a permit. The city’s Code Enforcement Division performs general City code enforcement.
The Thurston County Public Health & Social Services Department, public phone 360-867-2500, lists a Syringe Services Program and a Solid and Hazardous Waste Program, and you can ask it about either. Its Unwanted Medications drop-off sites do not take sharps or bloody or infectious waste, so do not bring cleanup materials there.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office1 posts a Resources page with company names under the heading “Bio-Hazard Clean-Up Services.” Any company you find there or through this site is still yours to question and check.
Travel can affect timing. Downtown Yelm backs up when drivers divert around I-5, which can slow emergency response, so ask any company where it is based and how it plans to reach you. More county details are on the Thurston County page.
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.
- Thurston County Coroner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (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.