Finding out that someone died alone at home and was not found right away is hard to take in. In Tumwater, this cleanup is done by an independent biohazard cleanup company that the family or property owner hires directly, and it begins only after the Thurston County Coroner’s Office1 and any police have finished at the home. Biohazard Network does not clean or do any part of the work; we can connect you with an independent local company, and this page explains what to expect.
You are not expected to clean this yourself. Your first calls are to the coroner’s office and a funeral home.
What unattended death cleanup involves
An unattended death means a person died with no one present and was found later. A biohazard is material that can carry germs that make people sick, such as blood or other body fluids. Some of these are bloodborne pathogens, which are germs carried in blood that can cause disease. When time passes before someone is found, the affected area can reach into porous materials, which are materials that soak up liquid, like carpet, padding, drywall and wood subfloor.
That is why household cleaning is not enough. A surface can look clean while the source remains underneath. Professional cleanup protects anyone who enters the home later, and it lets new flooring and walls go onto a clean base before the home is lived in, rented or sold.
What happens first
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office
Thurston County has an elected coroner system. A coroner is the official who investigates certain deaths to find their cause. The Thurston County Coroner’s Office1 investigates sudden, violent, unexpected and suspicious deaths in Thurston County. Under Washington law, the county coroner has jurisdiction when, for example, a person dies suddenly while in apparent good health without medical attendance in the 36 hours before death, or is found dead, and the body may be taken to the morgue.
Deputy Coroners stay in contact with families and help with answers about the death and next steps toward final arrangements. You can reach the Thurston County Coroner’s Office1 at (360) 867-2140.
The funeral home
In Thurston County, the funeral home generates the death certificate, and either a physician or the Coroner’s Office1 signs it. The coroner’s investigation may also help speed insurance claims, Social Security benefits and estate settlements, so keep the paperwork you receive.
What to leave alone
Scene release is the point when the coroner and any police are done and the home may be cleaned. Until a cleanup company has assessed the room, keep the door closed, keep children and pets out, and do not wash, move or throw away items there.
What to expect from the company you hire
Cleanup workers wear protective equipment such as gloves, suits and respirators. Ask the company to walk you through each stage of its plan:
- Containment, which means sealing off the work area so nothing spreads to the rest of the home.
- Removal of affected porous materials, and cleaning of what can be saved.
- Disinfection, which means using products that kill germs on surfaces.
- Odor work, which comes only after the source is removed; see odor remediation in Tumwater.
Washington law defines biomedical waste as a set list of materials, including discarded human blood and materials containing free-flowing blood. State rules require a company that collects, transports and disposes of it to keep an operating plan that holds it apart from other solid waste until treatment or disposal, so ask who will haul it away. For insurance, ask for a written scope of work, photos and an itemized list, and read any assignment of benefit form before signing, since the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) warns it could affect your rights.
To check a company yourself, ask whether its workers are trained under OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard2, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and whether it follows the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a non-profit for the cleaning and restoration industries. Then look the business up with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries3 (L&I) tool, Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business3, and see biohazard cleanup certifications explained for what the answers mean.
How long it takes
No one can give an honest time before seeing the home, so ask for a written plan of stages rather than one promised date. These things make the work longer:
- Time before the person was found. More time can mean the affected area reaches farther.
- Porous materials. Carpet, padding and drywall that absorbed fluid have to come out.
- Flooring and subfloor. An affected subfloor is cut out and the area beneath it cleaned.
- Odor work. It starts only after the source is gone.
- Rebuilding. Putting floors and walls back is separate work; see how biohazard cleanup fits with restoration.
Insurance runs on its own clock: the OIC4 says the insurer has 30 days from the date the claim is filed to inspect the damage.
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 works5. For damage from those risks, dwelling coverage typically covers repairing or replacing your damaged home.
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 exclude.
Ask your insurer: “Without filing a claim yet, can you tell me if my policy covers cleanup and repairs after a death in my home, and what limits apply?” Source: Filing a homeowner insurance claim (Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner)4
If you own or manage the rental
When a tenant who was the sole occupant dies, RCW 59.18.595 sets out your steps. On learning of the death, promptly mail or personally deliver a written notice to people including any known personal representative and the emergency contact on the rental application, stating that the tenancy ends 15 days after the notice or on the date rent is paid through, whichever is later.
You may enter and immediately dispose of perishable food, hazardous materials and garbage. The tenant’s other belongings follow a slower path: before selling or disposing of them, you must send a second notice naming a date at least 45 days after mailing, and personal papers and personal photographs are never included. Check your files for a written designation the tenant may have made, separate from the lease, and set the cleanup scope so belongings outside the affected area are left for the tenant representative.
Unattended death cleanup in Tumwater
Tumwater is an incorporated city, so ask the City of Tumwater Community Development Department, which provides permitting services, plan review, inspections and code enforcement, whether rebuilding needs a permit. The Thurston County Public Health & Social Services Department runs a Solid and Hazardous Waste Program.
When you contact a company, name a nearby landmark such as Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls or Tumwater Historical Park. Routes through the Thurston region include Interstate 5, U.S. 101 and State Route 507, and local planning addresses congestion on I-5 between Mounts Road and Tumwater, so ask a company coming along I-5 how it plans the trip. For related situations, see crime and trauma scene cleanup in Tumwater.
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.