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.