When blood spills on your property from a person you know is infected with Hepatitis A, B, or C, it is important to take extra precautions during the cleanup so no one else becomes infected. Whether it is a small cut you can clean up yourself or a larger spill after an accident or crime, here are important guidelines to follow to keep everyone safe from further harm.
Blood is legally classified as a biohazard
Like many other bodily fluids, blood is legally considered a biohazard that can harm the health of others in the area. Whenever a body fluid is classified as a biohazard, there are strict rules and regulations on how to clean up the substance and dispose of the resulting waste.
With blood infected with Hepatitis or any other infectious disease, this is especially important. If a person treating someone infected with Hepatitis A, B, or C, does not wear personal protective equipment or clean up the resulting spill properly, the virus can stay on the surface or find its way into a cut unseen, infecting other people and making others sick.
What is Hepatitis A, B, & C?
Hepatitis A, B, & C are virus strains that cause an acute inflammation of the liver. Depending on which strain the person has, the Hepatitis virus can be easily spread from one person to another via food, water, and bodily fluids including blood. While vaccines exist for Hepatitis A & B, no vaccine exists for Hepatitis C. For treatment, there are medications to treat B & C but Hepatitis A usually goes away on its own. However, type A is extremely contagious and can quickly spread to the wider population. The symptoms for Hepatitis includes:
- yellowing of the skin and eyes
- fever
- muscle and joint aches
- fatigue
- fever
- nausea
- vomiting
When do I need to hire professional blood cleanup?
If the amount of blood is small such as from a minor cut or scrape, you can handle the small amount of blood yourself by following the instructions below:
- wear protective gloves and any other applicable personal protective equipment
- Use a paper towel to wipe up all the blood and throw it away in a sealed plastic bag
- Using a mixture of soap and water, thoroughly wash the affected area and add the paper towel to the sealed plastic bag to throw away
- Make up a bleach solution of one-part bleach to ten parts water OR use a disinfectant with proven effectiveness against non-enveloped viruses such as the Norovirus
- Let the solution sit on the clean surface for at least ten minutes or follow the directions on the disinfectant bottle
- Wipe up the disinfectant and throw away the paper towel in the sealed plastic bag
- Remove the gloves while not touching the surface and throw them away in the sealed plastic bag
- Throw away the sealed plastic bag
- Thoroughly wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and hot water
Professional crew
If the amount of blood spilled is from an injury larger than a minor cut or scrape, then you need to cordon off the area and keep people and animals away until a professional blood cleanup crew arrives to take care of the spill. Only a professional crew has the knowledge and tools to clean up a large area of spilled blood and disinfect the affected surfaces. If a business owner or homeowner has someone deal with blood who is not certified in bloodborne pathogen cleanup or who does not have the proper licenses and permits to dispose of the resulting infected materials (legally classified as biohazard waste), then that person with face legal liability and hefty fines for improper disposal. To protect yourself and your investment, it’s important to have skilled cleaners complete the task.
Who should I call for professional blood cleanup?
There are numerous reputable companies who regularly clean up blood infected with Hepatitis A, B, or C. To find one, you can search for “blood cleanup” in your area. Make sure they are:
- Licensed and permitted to transport biohazard waste
- Have experience cleaning up blood
- Are licensed, bonded, and insured
- Have excellent reviews by members of the public
If you live in Georgia, our staff at Georgia Clean would be happy to provide blood cleanup services any time of day or night. With over 24 years of experience dealing with blood cleanup and infectious disease cleanup, we know how to quickly complete the task so you can focus on your home or business with as little trouble as possible. Always available to answer questions or provide a free quote and consultation, we have a reputation for quality customer service, compassion, and professionalism. Your safety and satisfaction is our priority and we always put our customers first.
