Trauma Scene Cleanup

4/25/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has professionals trained in Trauma Scene Cleanup and can take care of you during your time of grief.

Content Warning: Blood, death

Trauma Scene Cleanup is a solemn but necessary practice in the field of restoration. If you have ever had the misfortune to discover a deceased family member or loved one, you may not realize how important it is to inquire about forensic remediation, biohazard, or trauma cleanup services. These services may be necessary to restore a home back to preloss conditions.

Outsourcing the forensic remediation to a professional company such as SERVPRO of North Kanawha/Teays Valley is recommended for numerous reasons. We have professionals that are certified in Trauma Scene Cleanup. Blood is pathogenic, which means any fresh blood has the possibility to make you sick. Our technicians would be dressed in full personal protective equipment and this is crucial when handling any materials affected with blood. The stress of cleaning up after an unfortunate situation is not something a bereaved should be burdened with.

After the damage has been assessed and the areas properly mitigated, any soiled materials are then bagged in biohazard bags and properly discarded and hauled from the work site. We will also take care of any lingering odor that may occur. SERVPRO of North Kanawha Valley and Teays Valley has several different pieces of equipment that are designed to handle many types of odors. Once the technicians are finished, the affected area is now safe for the bereaved and will allow them to mourn properly without added stress.

Biohazard Clean-up

11/2/2021 (Permalink)

In this photo, we cleaned up human waste from carpet and tile flooring at a biohazard job in Charleston, WV.

SERVPRO of North Kanawha and Teays Valley is diversified in what we have to offer. Of course, we are most well known for our fire, water and mold cleanup and restoration. However, we do a variety of biohazard cleanups as well. Due to the different situations that warrant a biohazard clean, the services we offer range from cleaning up after an unassisted death to cleaning a home that was broken into where drug paraphernalia was left behind. Most of these situations are dangerous due to the potential exposure to biological and chemical contaminants. Our technicians are highly trained in dealing with contaminants and wear the necessary personal protective gear to do biohazard cleanups. These situations are not ideal, but with the necessary safety apparatus and cleaning products, we can help transform these unhealthy environments back into clean, safe homes and offices. 

If you see yourself in one of these unfortunate circumstances, please give us a call.  

Forensic Remediation

11/30/2017 (Permalink)

Forensic Remediation

Forensic remediation is a solemn but necessary practice in the field of restoration.  If you have ever had the misfortune to discover a deceased family member or loved one, you may not realize how important it is to inquire about forensic remediation services.  Forensic remediation can be necessary to restore a home back to preloss conditions.  The three main causes of forensic damage are suicide, homicide, and unassisted deaths.  An unassisted death occurs with someone expires and the body is not discovered for an extended period of time.  When a body sits for an excessive amount of time the advanced stages of decomposition sets in. Unassisted deaths are unfortunately common and more damage to the home can occur the longer a body is allowed to decompose. 

The biggest reason to have a professional company such as SERVPRO to perform this service is safety.  It cannot be stressed enough how important safety is when it comes to any environment that may deal with blood or other bodily fluids.  First and foremost blood is pathogenic.  What that means is any fresh blood has the possibility to make you sick.  SERVPRO technicians are donned in Tyvek suits, gloves, and full face shields.  Having the correct personal protection equipment is crucial when handling any materials affected with blood.  There are times when the bereaved enlist volunteers to help clean up the areas whom wear little or no protective gear and are subjecting themselves to a harmful environment.  During extreme cases, any illness obtained by volunteers could potentially hold the bereaved liable for damages.  When you hire SERVPRO, you needn’t worry about any such complications because SERVPRO educates their employees to be certified in all restorative fields, and each franchise carries various insurances necessary for the restoration field.

            Another main reason to outsource this line of work to the professionals at SERVPRO is to insure that you are receiving the most quality of service.  Certified technicians will understand what types of materials are salvageable or not depending on how affected the areas are.  When blood is pooled on the carpet it is not safe to clean and sanitize the area.  The most appropriate step to take is to remove the carpet and pad.  Once the carpet and pad has been removed the technicians will now address the sub floor.  The sub floor will be cleaned and sanitize with an E.P.A. registered disinfectant and sealed with an antimicrobial sealer.  There have been scenarios where the bereaved have tried to clean and sanitized porous materials such as carpet, but then have become sick in the future.  If porous materials are only lightly affected by splatter instead of being completely saturated they may be cleaned and sanitized.  However, in many instances of cleaning and sanitizing these lightly affected areas still leave an unsightly stain.

            After the damage has been assessed, and the areas properly mitigated any soiled materials are then bagged in bio hazard bags and properly discarded and hauled from the work site.  A side effect of the deceased can be the odor.  SERVPRO has several different pieces of equipment that are designed to handle many types of odors, especially odors that are protein base.  Once the technicians are completely finished the affected area is now safe for the bereaved and will allow them to mourn properly without the added stress.

Whats that Smell?!

3/23/2016 (Permalink)

Removing rodent debris from ceiling tiles by Hepa-vacuuming.

SERVPRO is widely known for being the leader in Fire and Water Cleanup & Restoration in the Charleston,WV and  we are tops in our field for Mold Cleanup as well, but our capabilities reach so much further than those three areas of expertise.

Our local SERVPRO offers many other services that you may not be aware of. One of those services is deodorization.

Over our 25+ year history, we have been called in to eliminate foul odors in many homes and businesses. These deodorizations have included such things as the simple burnt popcorn smell, changing hotels and homes from “smoking" to "non- smoking”, eliminating pet odors, and even odors associated with deceased animals have been rectified by our trained professionals. We have many different processes we use to eliminate these types of odors, from ozone treatments, to duct cleaning, and in some severe cases, hepa-vacuuming and cleaning & deodorizing an entire home or business.

Sometimes we are called in to investigate a "mysterious smell" in order to determine exactly what is causing an odor.

SERVPRO has specialized equipment, such as moisture meters, scopes to look into wall cavities and ductwork, and even infrared technology that can be applied to investigate areas for deceased animals.

Just recently we have performed deodorizations in two different commercial properties from deceased rodents. At least one of these jobs included removing every ceiling tile in the building and cleaning and disinfecting the attic, while removing any nest, feces, and deceased rodents that we might have found.  Ceiling tile was then replaced and SERVPRO was able to clean and deodorize the entire building.

Deodorization is one of many areas we specialize in, so the next time you have a bad smell in your home, or business just give us a call, so we can "Make it Like it Never Even Happened"

Forensic Remediation

5/4/2015 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is adding Forensic Remediation to the services we offer in the Charleston, West Virginia area.

Foresic Remediation covers the areas that pertain to bloodborne pathogens such as crime scene, or death scene cleanup.

We are also certified in Arson/Vandalism, and crime scene residue cleanup as well.

Our certified employees will safely and effectively clean biohazardous substances and prepare waste for proper disposal according to OSHA, EPA and state and local health regulations.