Trauma Restoration Industry

Today we continue our three part series on the Trauma Restoration Industry. Last week we learned about Blood Borne Pathogens. So just what does constitute a Trauma and what is Trauma Restoration?


What is a Trauma?

• Trauma: A physical wound or injury. A psychic wound or emotional shockthat has a lasting effect on the mind. An abnormal physical or mental condition produced by a shock, wound, injury or death. The New World Book Encyclopedia Dictionary -

• Trauma Restoration: “The physical and emotional action taken to return, repair or restore a traumatized area and its occupants back to some degree of normalcy.” D. Neal Riley, FBI Retired and former Director of Marketing for Trauma Restorative Services of Alabama

Trauma as stated above is a physical condition, at ServiceMaster Anytime, the types of jobs that we most often are working on are crime scenes. However, we also do trauma restoration for natural death sites as well. A death site is usually not a crime scene and differs mostly in the magnitude of the restoration process. Simply put, a death scene might occur when a person passes on, sometimes this is an elderly person that lives alone and the discovery isn’t made until days or weeks later.

We really want people to understand and know about Trauma Restoration because without the proper guidance and advocacy, families often face the cleanup themselves because they are unaware of the services that Trauma Practitioners perform. This is not only an emotional hardship for the family but consequently, when a self clean up occurs; it is often handled badly or illegally. Our community landfills are common dumping grounds for infectious and contaminated waste that should never have ended up there. Proper disposal of blood borne pathogens and any cleaning clothes and tools must be handled correctly and in full compliance with laws and regulations.

The trauma clean up starts only after the Coroners’ office or other agencies like the Police have completed their investigation. The authorities will release the scene back to the homeowner or business owner. The Coroners’ office or Mortuary is responsible for removing all body(s) and any human remains that may have become detached. The Trauma Restoration specialists usually will not be allowed to or required to remove any human remains. What is left to clean? All of the contaminated content and structural materials in these cases must be cleaned, restored, removed and/or disposed. This is where the experience and training of a licensed and registered Trauma Practitioner comes in.

Two Levels of Dead. Really?? Well not really, once a person has died they are surely dead but there are two levels of death scenes.

Level 1 exposure: Decontamination & Restoration

A “Level 1 Exposure” site has been contaminated by a traumatic event but has been discovered before any biological decomposition or odors has developed. Some areas of the site may still be habitable and the customer or family may still occupy these areas during restoration

Level ‘2’ Exposure: Complex Decontamination and Restoration- (Body


Decomposition and Putrefaction Odors)

A “Level 2 Exposure” site occurs when the resulting odor is bad enough so that the customer or family cannot inhabit the area. The restoration and cleaning process will tend to be more complex. Additional information is critical here for the effective decontamination and control of these problems. Decomposition odor is caused by bacteria or fungi actually splitting proteins which in turn forms a foul smelling residue which must be eliminated as quickly as possible.

Next week we will discuss the restoration process, including preparation, sanitizing, decontamination, items that must be removed and cleaning and restoring hard surfaces.

BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS

This week, ServiceMaster Anytime will begin a three part series on the Trauma Restoration Industry. We hope to provide you with informative knowledge and help to create an educated awareness for the need for professional cleaning and restoration. All of our content will be informational based and not graphic.


Our first topic provides some basic information on BloodBorne Pathogens.

What are Bloodborne Pathogens?


Bloodborne pathogens (BBP) are microorganisms that can cause disease when transferred from an infected person to another person through blood or other potentially infected body fluids. The microorganisms are capable of causing serious illness and death. The most common diseases spread in this manner are Hepatitis B (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Examples of other bloodborne diseases include malaria, Hepatitis C and syphilis.

Who is at Risk?

Workers in health care and public safety jobs could be potentially exposed to these disease pathogens. These workers include, but are not limited to, doctors, dentists, nurses, paramedics, police, laboratory workers and housekeeping workers in the health care industry. Needlestick injuries are the most common method of exposure for health care workers. Non-health care workers may become exposed at work while providing help to an injured co-worker and coming in contact with the injured person’s blood or body fluids.

How can you become exposed?

Exposure to bloodborne pathogens may occur in many ways. Any kind of opening or break in the skin provides a place for infected blood or fluids to enter your body. Scrapes, cuts, rashes, burns and other minor injuries that create an opening in the skin are entryways for bloodborne pathogens. Your eyes, nose and mouth are mucous membranes, and are also openings for diseases to enter.

Universal Precautions

Universal precautions are methods of protecting yourself from bloodborne pathogens. Universal precautions assume all body fluids are infected with bloodborne pathogens. Universal precautions include:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – to be used at all times to prevent skin or mucous membrane contact with bodily fluids. Always inspect PPE for cracks, holes or other damage. Never use damaged PPE. PPE examples include lab coats, gloves, eye goggles, face shields, etc.

• Wash hands or other skin surfaces thoroughly and immediately if contaminated.

• When using sharp items (scalpels, needles, pipettes, etc.) that may be potentially contaminated, a puncture resistant container must be used for storage and disposal after use.

If you think you’ve been exposed:

If you have come in contact with blood or other potentially infectious bodily fluids, you’ve been involved in an exposure incident. Stay calm, wash yourself thoroughly, and report to your supervisor right away. Inform your supervisor of how, when, where and whose blood you came in contact with. If you’ve been involved in an exposure incident, seek medical attention. A medical professional will provide you with appropriate testing, treatment and education.

Bloodborne Pathogens Program

In 1991, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began requiring employers with workers potentially exposed to blood or other infectious materials to establish a Bloodborne Pathogens Program. The purpose of a Bloodborne Pathogens Program is to protect employees from the health hazards associated with bloodborne pathogens and to provide appropriate treatment and counseling should an employee be exposed to bloodborne pathogens. If you have any health concerns or questions, contact your health care provider.

The above evaluations and/or recommendations are for general guidance only and should not be relied upon for legal compliance purposes. They are based solely on the information provided to us and relate only to those conditions specifically discussed. We do not make any warranty, expressed or implied, that your workplace is safe or healthful or that it complies with all laws, regulations or standards.

California Department of Public Health ServiceMaster Anytime is a Registered Trauma Scene Management Practitioner #187.