Dirty jobs: Biohazard cleaner - 'You name it, you don't want to touch it. Our people touch it.'

Addyson McCullough, Fort Myers News-Press
·3 min read
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The News-Press and Naples Daily News are featuring dirty jobs in Southwest Florida all week long. In today's edition, we take a dirty deep dive into biohazard clean up.

A biohazard is biological material that is dangerous to humans or animals. Common biohazards are bodily fluids like blood, vomit, pee or poop. Biohazards can also be the aftermath of death and the decomposition of bodies.

Bio-One of Fort Myers is a 24/7 biohazard clean-up company with satellite offices around the country. They clean up devastating scenes of biohazard materials from crime scenes, death (suicides) and hoarding. Biohazard clean up crews enter homes and crime scenes with empathy and compassion despite the gruesome atmosphere cleaning and removing biohazard materials.

"We deal with the three P's and B: pee, poop, puke and blood," said Dr. Richard Weinblatt, owner of Bio-One of Fort Myers. "You name it, you don't want to touch it. Our people touch it."

Weinblatt had an extensive career as a police chief, exposing him to gory crime scenes. As an investigator, he would encounter people on one of the worst days of their life and would leave them with a bio hazard clean-up team. In 2021, Weinblatt started Bio-One in Indianapolis. Now they have seven locations nationwide, including Fort Myers which was added in 2023.

A sign warns of the biohazard threat outside a secure biolab facility.
A sign warns of the biohazard threat outside a secure biolab facility.

Biohazard cleaning: What to know

  • Who cleans up biohazard waste? Specialized clean up crews clean and begin the disposal process of biohazards. There are specific techniques and products that professionals are trained to use, making biohazard clean up nearly impossible for someone to execute properly without the right knowledge. It is vital these crews maintain exceptional levels of empathy and professionalism. They are entering people's space on a life changing day, whether that be tragically loosing a loved one or choosing to clean up a hoarding situation and begin a healthier lifestyle.

  • Who requests biohazard clean up services? Anyone can request a biohazard clean up service. Law enforcement requests services for crime scene clean up with any sort of blood, or bodily fluids. Hoarders may call for help in cleaning up their homes. In extreme cases of hoarding, dead animals may be present, making the area a biohazard. With a large elderly population in Southwest Florida, unattended or undiscovered death clean up is common. If someone dies and they are not under the care of a medical provider it is considered unattended death. If the body goes undiscovered it becomes an undiscovered death. Biohazard clean up crews are called for cleaning and remediation once the body is discovered.

  • How long does a biohazard clean up take? Cleaning up a biohazard can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The length of a job depends on the size of the biohazard and how large the impacted area is. If the hazard is contained to just a few feet, it will be a quicker clean up time than if there is biohazard splattered across an entire room.

  • Why is biohazard clean up important? Without biohazard clean up companies, biohazards can become a danger to society. If not properly cleaned, especially in a place of high traffic, the hazard can spread. It can stick to shoes, tires, fabrics, and other frequently touched items, exposing others to the biohazard and put their health and safety at risk.

Q&A: 3 questions about cleaning up biohazards for Dr. Richard Weinblatt

Q. How do you protect yourself from the dangers of this job?

Weinblatt: We have proper PPE (personal protective equipment).

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) requires biohazard clean-up crews to have eye protection, hearing protection, gloves, protective clothing and respirators.

Q. How do you dispose of biohazards?

Weinblatt: We transport it to a licensed disposal facility that we have a set up relationship with. We are licensed to transport it, and then they then destroy it according to the protocols. All biohazards must be controlled and contained before transport.

Q. How long does the smell of death linger after clean up?

Weinblatt: If the place is properly remediated by our crews, there's no lingering smell.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: what is a biohazard, who cleans biohazards, what is unattended death