Just wondering if anyone is certified to offer biohazard cleanup of interiors (ie. cleaning up blood, needles, vomit, etc). I was talking with the owner of a body shop today and he told me that whenever a car is stolen or in an accident and there is blood, needles, or other biohazard materials in the vehicle the insurance company calls in a biohazard cleanup crew...apparently it is big money. Anyone have any experience with this?
Biohazard detailing
- Thread starter Jpostal
- Start date
WAS
Driven
I assume "certified" means that the body shop calls in a HAZMAT certified cleaning crew. I know there are certifications you can get as a business in the home-cleaning and carpet-cleaning industry (for example, to clean up murder scenes in homes and such). It's probably something you could get, but also most likely very expensive. I'd assume that if you're strictly doing vehicles, it wouldn't be worth it from a financial aspect.
I was talking with a friend of a friend who used to work for a company that does this type of work and he said that all he was required to get was his WHIMIS certification...he was not sure if the owner of the company had any other training or certifications to allow him to work for insurance companies, etc. There are several companies in the States that offer crime scene cleanup services (biohazard cleanup) who also offer training for this type of work. It looks like a 3 day course runs about $2500 (plus travel expenses).
imported_advs1
New member
I was looking into doing crime scene clean up and you can get certified to do the work but getting the work is harder than it seems. Most places will tell you, you have to have a good re pore with local PD/Sheriff and the cops who work homicide and such. They are the ones that would refer customers to you. Then you have to find a place to dispose of the hazardous waste and such. People don't believe when I tell them even vomit is considered hazmat work. You never know what the person had/has. Not work $50 for an interior detail if you catch something because it is an air born disease.
David Fermani
Forza Auto Salon
JPostal said:
Yup - Many shops use an independant company that specializes in Bio-Hazard clean ups. And yes, it's big bucks to take care of. You don't need to have certification, but the proper training certainly helps with not only the safety aspect, but the chemicals/processes needed to complete the job correctly.
imported_advs1
New member
kalalex said:
you have to be certified to clean ambulances. my friend works for a company and they have to clean them, on the inside anyway. he hates doing it and wanted to get me the account but turns out you need to many things because of the blood, diseases and the stuff they carry from what he found out. unless he was lying lol
advs1 said:
There is no certification that I am aware of (around here anyway) to clean ambulances or emergency vehicles. My department and all of the others that I have ever interacted with clean them up themselves. Most ambulances are rather easy to clean anyway; bleach or cavicide, a few brushes and a hose.
WAS
Driven
Actually, come to think of it, you don't need a certification where I live either to clean up, at least, blood. A shop I once worked at as a university student got a police cruiser where the back was all bloody from a subject they had put in the back. We cleaned it out, and none of us were certified in any way.
Many places will do the work without actually understanding the risks involved in cleaning up biohazard and will do it just like a regular detail. I am strongly against this and will always turn down biohazard work. I have thought about getting training and certification (if needed) to do this sort of work, but the actual cleanup cost increases almost exponentially and most customers will not understand that any more than the detail shops that treat it as a regular detail.
One place I used to manage had a car come in where there was a stabbing victim; shattered glass and blood splatter everywhere. I absolutely refused to touch it and would have turned the job away if I were the one that answered the phone. However, the owner took the call and basically shrugged and said, "sure, my guys can take care of it". I don't believe he even charged any more than a regular interior.
My wife is an RN and always laughs when I complain about blood in a detail, but I'm not going to catch Hep B for a $100 job.
One place I used to manage had a car come in where there was a stabbing victim; shattered glass and blood splatter everywhere. I absolutely refused to touch it and would have turned the job away if I were the one that answered the phone. However, the owner took the call and basically shrugged and said, "sure, my guys can take care of it". I don't believe he even charged any more than a regular interior.
My wife is an RN and always laughs when I complain about blood in a detail, but I'm not going to catch Hep B for a $100 job.
The guy I know who worked just as an employee of a bio hazard company got paid very well so I am assuming that the owner of the company was charging substantially more than he was paying out to his employee. One article I read online gave some aprox numbers of what companies were charging...CRAZY money if the info in the article is correct.
Yeah, it is crazy money and I've heard of biohazard cleanup companies travelling many hours for work because no one else in the area will do it.
But again, if you have a detail shop in the area that is willing to cleanup a stabbing vehicle for only $50 more than a regular interior detail with no additional training or certifications, then you're not going to have much luck charging a premium.
But again, if you have a detail shop in the area that is willing to cleanup a stabbing vehicle for only $50 more than a regular interior detail with no additional training or certifications, then you're not going to have much luck charging a premium.
Jean-Claude
Keeper of the beautiful
You'd better have a lead stomach. You will clean up suicides where someone used a shotgun on their head. Bits of brain matter, bone, blood, guts, human waste(#1 and #2).
You will also be dealing with families who have just had their son, mother, father, daughter murdered or a suicide. You don't think anyone else pays for it do you? It's the families responsibility to get it cleaned, if they don't themselves. It is not a fun job. Think of it as a someone's got to do it-type job.
You'd better understand that you will be seeing and doing business with people who have just had their world destroyed.
My family had to use this service about 10 years ago.
You will also be dealing with families who have just had their son, mother, father, daughter murdered or a suicide. You don't think anyone else pays for it do you? It's the families responsibility to get it cleaned, if they don't themselves. It is not a fun job. Think of it as a someone's got to do it-type job.
You'd better understand that you will be seeing and doing business with people who have just had their world destroyed.
My family had to use this service about 10 years ago.
Envious Eric
New member
id pass for sure!!!!!!!!
WAS
Driven
Scottwax said:
To be honest, I probably would too. I can handle a bit of throwing up (from being drunk or whatever), or a bit of blood, but anything more than that and I'm not very comfortable. Not to mention the hazard you put your own health in.
Jean-Claude said:
F*** me. IMO, a vehicle like that can't even be cleaned anymore. Either strip down and brand new interior, or off to the junk yard.