When some people in Rancho Palos Verdes, California lose their homes due to joblessness or other issues, some of them turn to homeless encampments. They choose these options because they believe that the encampments offer them a semblance of community and safety. The problem with homeless encampments is that most of them are unregulated, meaning that they pose risks not only for their residents but for the community at large as well.

Once a homeless encampment has been cleared of its residents, a lot of waste remains behind. Much of the waste generated at homeless encampments is biohazardous waste, and it must be disposed of properly in order to keep the public safe. Homeless encampment cleanup must be thorough. If it’s not, it can continue to cause great risk to the community.

Why is biohazardous waste so dangerous?

Biohazardous waste and infectious waste are some of the most dangerous types of waste around. This waste includes airborne or bloodborne pathogens that cause diseases. Some of the diseases caused by pathogens include different types of coronavirus, HIV, tetanus, hepatitis A, and many many more. At homeless encampments, biohazardous waste is loaded with pathogens that frequently causes disease outbreaks within those communities. Even after an encampment has been cleared away, the pathogens remain behind. In order to keep the entire community safe, the waste has to be cleared away and disposed of properly, and the site has to be cleaned and sanitized.

Can anyone handle homeless encampment cleaning?

Because of the serious risk of infection and contamination, biohazardous waste cleanup at homeless encampments needs to be handled by people who are trained to do so. Companies like Eco Bear are trained to collect biohazardous waste, package it up properly into special biohazard bins, and dispose of it so that it doesn’t pose a risk to anyone who comes into contact with it. People who are not trained in the disposal of biohazardous waste could end up becoming infected or infecting other people due to simple mishandling of the waste.

The state of California has strict regulations regarding the collection and disposal of biohazardous waste. This is to help ensure that communities stay safe. When it comes to homeless encampment cleanup, you need to work with a company that knows how to get rid of this waste thoroughly so that everyone remains safe. People who go in with great intentions but no qualifications may think that a site has been cleaned, but in reality what they’ve left behind is a site that looks good but has dangerous pathogens located on every surface.

Who pays for homeless encampment cleanup?

The cost of homeless encampment cleanup is the responsibility of whoever owns the site that the homeless encampments was located on. If the homeless encampment was on public land, the responsibility of cleanup falls to the city, state, or federal government. If the homeless encampment was located on property owned by businesses, those businesses need to cover the cost. If the homeless encampment is located on private property in a residential area, whoever owns that private residential property needs to pay for cleanup. There have actually been disputes regarding who has to pay for cleanup, so if you’re not sure about the encampment that you’re inquiring about, reach out to your local officials or give us a call. We can try and help you get to the bottom of who is responsible for final costs.

How do homeless encampment facilitate the spread of disease?

There are several types of homeless encampments. In some cities, there are actually sanctioned and regulated homeless encampments that are run by those cities. They tend to be better managed and provide better services than the unregulated ones. The unregulated homeless encampments tend to be free-for-alls. The problem with this is that these encampments don’t have access to services like running water, public toilets, or places to wash themselves or their clothes. This leads to encampments that are filthy, unsanitary, and dangerous to be in.

People in unregulated encampments don’t have anywhere to relieve themselves, so they use whatever containers they have at hand. They keep their waste close to them until they have an opportunity to dispose of it. Some of them simply dispose of it wherever they are. This goes for their animals as well. Transmission through human and animal waste is one of the most common ways that diseases are spread, leading to outbreaks of diseases like hepatitis A. Hepatitis A has been a huge issue in California homeless encampments communities for the past few years simply because of the way homeless encampment residents live. Encampment residents pass items back and forth between each other. Because they don’t wash their hands regularly, pathogen spread is basically a sure thing. Once these homeless residents go out into the broader community, the threat of disease spread increases.

People in homeless encampments also don’t have anywhere to store their food, so it frequently rots. This raises the risk of infection from pathogens like E. coli and salmonella.

If homeless encampments sites are so dangerous, how do cleaners stay safe when they clean them?

Homeless encampment cleaners have heavy experience with the practice of cleaning up these types of sites. They’re covered from head to toe in PPE gear so that they don’t come into direct contact with any of the biohazardous waste they’re getting rid of. That gear includes full body suits, face masks, respirators, face shields, and shoe covers. Drug paraphernalia is a serious problem at some homeless encampments, so cleaners also wear special gloves that are designed to be puncture proof. This helps protect them from the dangers associated with biohazardous waste like syringes and dirty needles.

Give us a call if you’re looking for help with homeless encampment cleanup. We can handle it and restore your site to its original condition so that it’s safe for use.