[Timmy Boy]

Morning all
Yesterday I was asked to quote a clean. Firstly I had to take the boarding off the door where the police had smashed it in. (you know whats coming!) Yep, you guessed it trauma clean up. The first thing that got me was the smell and then the most amount of flies I have ever seen! The poor old guy had been dead for a good few weeks before anyone noticed.
This will my first job in this line, I have done a drug addicts flat before but not significant body fluids.
The chap was found on the floor of his studio, which was bare floorboards. The house has hoards of flies in every room but the surveyor only wants the room where he died cleaned and the flies removed from everywhere else.
If anyone on here has experience of such a job I would appreciate if you could answer a couple of questions. Firstly do I fumigate the flies or just encourage them out the window! Secondly what would be a good substance to clean the floor where he died, and finally does anybody know a good de-odouriser!.
Regards
Tim

[Robert Parry]

Tim,

With the greatest of respect, by your questions, it sounds as though you have little or no training or real knowledge of this sphere of work, if I have got this wrong I apologise.

This sort of work is very specialised, it also carries very real risks, you need to ensure that R/A and M/S are completed, and signed off, you also need PPE and people who are trained in this sort of work, just because you cant see the body fluids with the naked eye, does not mean that you have removed them all!

You will also probably need to lift the boards as well, in order to remove the leakage, as for the flies, they do need to be taken care of properly, opening the windows just wont do it, the cash is probably very good, but my advice, leave it, unless you have the training and the proper insurance as well as everything else you need.

Regards,

Rob

[Timmy Boy]

thanks for your comments, it is one of those things like fire & flood, you want to do it but you don't know how. Is anyone interested in doing the job on the proviso that I can be one of the crew and possibly get an insight into the job? I have put a price of a grand on it if anyones interested?

[Bertie Boo]

...what can you say to that?

Bertie

[Neil-MDC]

its a good topic actually, how do you get the training for this sort of job? and where?

i've not heard any one local who does this!!!!

[Bertie Boo]

i have no idea...there was a guy on the BICs stage one course i did who was going into crime scene cleaning.

I wish i'd asked him.

Not sure that someone who hasn't done it before is the right person for this job though...

Bertie

[Art]

John Kellys your man for this subject, but i think he's busy with flood work at the minute.

[Neil-MDC]

i've been to a property where someone has been found deceased, a friend of mine rented a house to an old fella. he went round to get the rent and found him.

i went to clear out all his rubbish he had collected over some years, not a nice job i might add!!!!!!

[dg-cleaning]

who on earth would wanna do that job for any kind of money???!!!

[Prestige1]

try these people http://www.express-cleaning-supplies.co.uk/oos/trainingcourses/

Funny but I think these run this forum?

[The Great One]

Hi

I would go in suited & booted.

use a product called Sta Kill, it is a very pwerful anti bacteriacide and odour neutralizer, spray it all over. All take in an insectacide or a few cans of fly spray for the flies.

leave for 24 hours.

Go back open windows and get to work.

The floor has to come up and be disposed of, the body purges after 12 hours (it gets rid of all fluids & waste) this will have leaked all over and into the floor. Blood is a pathogen and transmits diseases.

The waste HAS to be taken away by a registered toxic waste carrier.

Good luck if you either do it, or are part of the team.

Regards

Martin

[Timmy Boy]

I have looked at the course for trauma cleaning. This is run annually and is £500.00. I don't think this is a bad price but it does not help now & will I ever get asked to do another? I was speaking to someone yesterday who said that they wouldn't do it for £5000.00 let alone a grand so I think you have to be in the right frame of mind to tackle it.

Sometimes when people warn you off by saying 'don't touch it', it takes me back to a couple of months ago when I did a drug addicts flat. Needles, junk, blackened spoons all over the place. I probably should not have tackled that job, but I used my common sense, bought a sharps kit, used overalls & gloves, which were then disposed of and we had the job done in a day.  I think that most people on this forum would not turn down £125.00 per hour to try and do this sort of job, if it turns out ok, then great, if not then I won't charge the customer & I have only lost a day of my time & the cost of some disposable masks & coveralls. If more jobs come from it, then I will book myself on the course, but the company who has offered me the task has only ever had this happen once before & that was ten years ago, so it is hardly going to grow into my main line of business!
The actual incident area is 4m square and thats all the client is bothered about (apart from the flies & the smell).

Martin, the chemical sounds ideal, do you find these toxic waste carriers expensive?

Regards
Tim

[domestic bliss]

SORRY, I can't advise you.  But you deserve a pat on the back for being able to do that sort of thing.  Personally i could never do that sort of cleaning.  I think i would throw up and then pass out YUKK!!

[Robert Parry]

People never cease to amaze me in this industry, most who enter this sphere of work think that its unskilled, that all you need to do is buy a vacuum, mop bucket and cloths and away you go, you are now a contract cleaner, most clients think exactly the same!

I am afraid Tim I am not warning you off of this course of action at all, you asked for advice, which I gave, if you think you can do the job to the required standard and safely, well that is your own choice, however if you are taking an employee to do the work as well, then due to your lack of REAL TRAINING AND KNOWLEDGE, you are putting your employee at risk, something that is against the LAW, no, excuses, no arguements, that is the fact of the matter, Martins advice of going in "suited and booted" is not really advice at all, that will not protect you either morally or in law, should the worst happen.

Regarding, your previous experience dealing with a  drug cleanup, again it does not surprise me that you undertook this without any training, that is the way most of the industry works, however not getting a needle stick injury was I feel more good fortune, than anything else, what would have happened if you messed up and got stuck by an unseen needle? Have you had your injections? Do you have access to testing, for HIV?

Does your insurance company know that you undertake this high risk work?

In answer to ALL the above questions, I bet I know the correct answers, that is NO.

All you can see is an opportunity to earn a buck, well in my opionion, my own life is worth more than a grand, much, much more, this area is a specialised area of cleaning, thats why there is a recognised training course, so get yourself on it, then, market this highly specialised service to estate agents/police etc, you should soon make your money back, and at least you will be able to do what you say you can, safely and lawfully.

Regards,

Rob

[kisa]

hi there
i am working for a cleaning company and this kind of job is no wonder for us,we have got trained staff,all equipment and protective clothes,we know how to do "dead bodies" job and we do it well
company is in London,but has got UK coverage
so if u still looking for some1 to do that job then drop me email and i will be happy to help
kisa1804@yahoo.co.uk