on Yelp
The gorgeous Riverside County in sunny California boasts many local attractions, warm and enjoyable weather and plenty of cultural and entertainment options to suit every personality. This city is the 4th most populous city in the state of California, and this county is considered a part of the so-called Inland Empire. The county stretches wide from the Greater Los Angeles region all the way towards Arizona.
Riverside County has lots of tourist attractions including some of the best and most glamorous resorts and resort communities in the country. Some of these spectacular places include:
- Palm Desert
- Indian Wells
- Rancho Mirage
- La Quinta
- Desert Hot Springs
Many well-known celebrities and important VIPs have come to these stunning resorts for vacations and relaxation. There are approximately 2.5 million residents in Riverside County, and the population make up is diverse
A large portion of the newer real estate in Riverside County is dedicated to what some refer to as “sprawling tract housing communities.” These huge development projects with expansive residential neighborhoods were started in response to the growing area middle class desiring to escape the urban business of the Greater Los Angeles region.
Riverside County’s overall crime rate statistics are roughly 25 percent above the national average by some reliable studies. The frequency and type of crimes do vary between the specific individual communities that make up and form Riverside County.
As is the case with almost any true urban county, every year there are events that happen that require the need for highly qualified biohazard cleanup in Riverside County. These events include:
- Unattended Deaths
- Homicides
- Suicides
- Rodent Infestations
- Homeless Related Infestations
Shocking Indictment by a Riverside County Grand Jury of an Area Deputy Sheriff Involved in Diabolic Murder Scheme
A disturbing incident that was classified initially by police as a justified shooting of a criminal suspect turned into something far more sinister. A deputy sheriff of Riverside County by the name of Oscar Rodriguez was first cleared of any kind of wrongdoing when he fatally shot Luis Morin, Jr.
Subsequently, the Riverside County District Attorney reopened the case investigation when surprising “new evidence” was discovered. Another independent investigation ultimately uncovered significant information that the deputy sheriff was involved with the girlfriend of the man allegedly shot by the officer. A grand jury investigation regarding new details about the former sheriff’s deputy found enough evidence to formally indict the former deputy for first-degree murder.
Girl 13 Takes Her Own Life in Riverside County
Despite the facts that indicate a lower than national average suicide rate, Riverside County as well as other areas in California to deal with unfortunate suicides that still happen from time to time. These tragic suicides that can occur anywhere serve to remind everyone that one suicide death is far too many. One such case involved a 13-year old girl who took her life.
The teenage girl hung herself in her home after enduring endless cruel bullying by other students at her school. Her horrified family discovered the teen before she actually died and rushed her off to the nearby hospital. There she was placed on life support. However, the hospital physicians gave the sad news of their daughter’s grave condition to her parents. Eventually, her family decided to take her off life support and she died.
Biohazard Cleanup in Riverside County
These horrific tragedies like the above ones can occur without warning, and these incidents are incredibly traumatic for anyone involved in the case. Often, suicide or homicide necessitates what is termed a biohazard cleanup. A biohazard cleanup in Riverside County is a cleaning process that is designed to ensure that the cleanup a death scene is completed safely and in such a manner that any dangerous pathogens present at the scene are fully eliminated. These harmful pathogens can be found in the victim’s blood or other bodily fluids.
Some of the most prevalent dangerous pathogens that may be found in bodily fluids like blood and urine include:
- HIV
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- MRSA
Due to the possible presence of these and other dangerous pathogens at homicide or suicide death scenes, the recommended course of action is to retain the services of a professional biohazard cleanup specialist. These specialists will have the recommended skills, equipment, materials, background training and experience required to safely, thoroughly, and effectively remediate this type of death scene. The ultimate end goal of any biohazard cleanup in Riverside County professional is to restore a residence back to a clean and habitable state.
How Riverside County Grief Therapists Can Help
Losing a beloved family member or friend through any type of sudden, traumatic death can be overwhelmingly shocking and devastating to those left behind to grieve. The normal bereavement process that follows such events can feel unreal and hard to accept. Individuals in this emotionally charged position may benefit immensely by seeking professional assistance and support from a Riverside County grief therapist. These compassionate and experienced grief specialists can assist in determining what types of short and long term assistance and support a person in this specific situation would need to move through the often challenging mourning process. This professional support may include individual, family or group grief therapy sessions.
How to Rid Your Home or Business of Rodents & Keep Them Away
Every week, there are numerous incidents where the local health department had to cite various restaurants and other dining establishments for the presence of rats, mice or other rodents. This is a very serious public health problem that should be closely monitored. These rodents often leave noticeable signs of their presence that can be detected if the person knows what they are looking for. Some of these telling signs include:
- Gnawing Marks on Furniture, Boxes, & Food Containers
- Paw Prints on Dust – Noticeable Tail-Drag Line
- Evidence of Food Eaten in Hidden Locations
- Nest Material
- Feces Droppings & Urine Stains
- Chewed Electric Wires
- Scurrying Noises, Squeaks & Other Tells Behind Walls, Under Floors
- Burrow Holes in Yard
When any of these above signs are noticed, it is critical to take immediate steps to resolve the problem. Rats and mice carry upwards of 35 different diseases, and some of them are deadly. These diseases can strike even the young and healthy among us, and the signs often are misdiagnosed as bad flu until the near end-stage breathing issues develop.
It is widely recommended by health and safety organizations that people unfamiliar with this type of cleaning method should call in the experts for assistance. Eco Bear technicians can thoroughly clean out any evidence of rodents from your home, apartment building, garage or business.
Hantavirus is a specific disease that is transmitted by exposure to mouse and rat fecal droppings or other bodily fluid from the rodent. Just shaking a nest that has these droppings inside can cause the pathogens to become airborne making them easy to be breathed in. Before starting any type of cleanup on camps, cottages or other spaces that haven’t been used for some time, be sure to completely air the building to rid the space of some of the possibly present airborne pathogens.
Categories of Biohazardous Waste Definitions & Cleanup Considerations
There are four general categories of biohazardous waste the biohazard cleanup crews are most likely to encounter. These are:
- Non-Sharp Solid Biohazards
- Liquid Biohazardous Waste
- Biohazardous Sharps
- Pathological Waste
There are also extremely dangerous chemical waste designations as well that require different cleanup measures.
Due to the dangerous nature of any type of biohazardous waste, specific safety requirements and cleanup exist. These requirements and cleanup related protocols are designed specifically to ensure that all of the workers involved in the complicated cleanup of these materials are not inadvertently exposed to harmful pathogens. Additionally, these closely monitored cleanup and safety measures are designed to better ensure that all biohazard material is safely disposed of.
Some Essential Elements Regarding Biohazard Cleanup
Professionals involved in biohazard remediation cleanup generally use different terms in identifying the biohazardous contamination stages or levels associated with these kinds of cleanup processes. Understanding these terms is an essential part of effectively and safely completing the necessary steps involved in the various stages of biohazardous cleanup and property remediation. Professional biohazard cleanup specialists like the experts at Eco Bear adhere to the following stages to ensure the safety of both the workers and anyone inside of the building. These stages are:
- Containment
- Cleanup
- Sanitation
- Deodorization
- Restoration
Containment
The first step in cleaning up a biohazard scene is to contain any pathogens to prevent further contamination. This is incredibly important, as others can become exposed to this potential disease-causing pathogens even if they are not in the original spot where the biohazard was initially discovered. When a pathogen gets inadvertently transferred to another location, this is referred to as cross-contamination.
Before beginning the actual work of cleaning up the biohazardous materials, the biohazard clean up team will essentially “wall off” or contain the infectious pathogens by putting up floor to ceiling sheets of heavy-duty plastics, utilize industrial strength fans to blow any contaminated air outside safely and wear the appropriate disposable protective attire and gear known as PPE or personal protective equipment by health and safety experts.
This PPE should include:
- Medical Grade Gloves
- Impervious Protective Attire – Gowns, Smocks or Aprons
- Eye Protection – Goggles or Face Mask with Plastic Face Shield Attached
- Disposable Foot Protection – Booties
- Hair Protection – Disposable Surgical Type Caps
- Possible Space-Suit Attire with Oxygen/Helmets in Extremely Dangerous Cases
Biohazard Cleanup Stage
This stage of the biohazard cleanup involves the actual removal of the contaminated items. Of primary concern are the presence of pathogens in human or animal blood and/or other bodily fluids such as urine and fecal matter. The proper precautions need to be followed, and the damaged and contaminated things need to be disposed of in the correct manner.
The cleanup of flat non-porous surfaces like floors, walls, ceilings, and bathroom fixtures can usually be cleaned thoroughly using the right cleaning products and techniques. Other porous items like mattresses, sofas and other items become a bit more challenging.
If someone has died on a mattress, that mattress might harbor pathogens in any blood, urine, vomit, saliva or fecal material that could sink into the deeper layers. In this type of scenario, the portion of the mattress that has been stained with blood can often be cut away and just that contaminated area will need to be discarded using the appropriate biohazard trash bags.
The rest of the mattress should then be discarded as the city policy dictates. Carpets often become too saturated with biohazards and might need to be discarded as well.
Sanitizing a Biohazard Scene
Following the proper cleanup, it is still necessary to thoroughly eliminate any left behind pathogens by sanitizing the scene. This involves the use of some heavy-duty hospital grade chemicals and cleaning supplies that the average citizen will not have access to getting. Even though the room or space has already been cleaned well, this sanitizing process is essential to truly kill any lingering harmful bacteria, molds, viruses and other microscopic organisms.
Deodorization Biohazard Stage
There can be horribly offensive smells after a person has died inside somewhere. This type of odor can begin very soon after death. This is why hospitals and other healthcare institutions remove the deceased body to a cold morgue unit as soon as possible.
If the deceased body is not found right away, those odors become even more prevalent and foul smelling. Ordinary cleaners will not get this type of odor out of the carpets, floors, and furnishings. It is best to leave this to the cleaning experts like those from Eco Bear. These professionals are able to use powerful deodorizing products meant for tough cleaning situations like this.
Property Biohazard Restoration Stage
Finally, this last stage in the biohazard cleanup process is the property restoration stage. This is the stage where the cleaning specialists will focus on savable items. The cleanup team will have specialized equipment and cleaning supplies to hopefully restore the property to where it was before the unfortunate event occurred.
The goal of this cleanup stage is to get the space into a livable, safe and habitable condition. For commercial businesses, the affected space will be restored back into a usable state once again. All of these cleanup stages are important, and these should not be performed haphazardly due to the dangers of the pathogens.
If the remediation/restoration process begins soon enough, more of the property is likely to be saved. If this stage is delayed, permanent property damage can occur.
Benefits of Utilizing an Experienced Biohazard Cleanup Service
Having someone who can do this type of dirty job can be a blessing in many ways. Cleaning out a room where a loved one died can be simply too difficult for most family members to bear. Since there could be dangers with unseen pathogens still in the room, it is necessary to take care of the cleaning almost immediately after the person has died.
A caring and compassionate team of cleanup specialists from Eco Bear is there whenever someone needs their valuable service. This can be such a welcome relief for families wondering how they will possibly accomplish this in such a short time while still grieving.
The hardworking and dedicated team at Eco Bear is ready to assist home and business owners in cleaning up their property that has been potentially contaminated with biohazardous substances.
