With so many businesses out there opening their doors as the pandemic recedes, a host of professional cleaning companies have begun offering decontamination cleaning services to rid properties of viruses, bacteria, and other harmful hazards. Next Level Facility Solutions offers comprehensive disinfection and decontamination services and here, we’ve collected some important information about what makes a reliable decontamination company.
Here you’ll find more information about what precisely decontamination cleaning services do, as well as the different regulations any company that offers them needs to follow.
What Types of Rules Do Decontamination Cleaning Companies Have to Follow?
In order to offer decontamination services, important training is involved and the necessary equipment has to be used to ensure a thorough job. Any company that doesn’t follow the right procedures will be placing not only their clients at risk, but their staff as well, which is why procedural plans for decontamination are so important to follow.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are a few important things to consider that will help ensure the health and safety of your team, as well as your clients. They include:
- Complying with and training all employees to follow the OSHA’s Blood Borne Pathogens standard.
- Properly disposing of waste and personal protection equipment once the job is done.
- Creating a clear, written policy to protect your employees and providing adequate training to all of your team prior to them disinfecting any facility.
- Developing a written hazard communication plan in case of an emergency, and training all of your employees about any chemicals being handled and the dangers of them.
- Creating a detailed plan for the protection of your employees that includes testing the respirators they’re using, requiring medical clearance for the use of respirators, and outlining proper procedures to avoid cross-contamination.
How Have State Licensing Requirements Changed Over the Years?
Years ago, after the Hurricane Katrina disaster, many companies began offering mold decontamination services in much the same way we see cleaning companies now offering disinfection services. Unfortunately, back then there weren’t such stringent measures for training and cleaning like there are today. This left many with half-done remediation jobs that ended up causing them serious health problems down the road, due to hidden mold contamination in their homes and businesses that was supposed to be eradicated. This caused a sea change in the industry and many states began enacting laws to strengthen mold assessment and remediation services, making them safer for consumers. Thankfully, much of these same laws and requirements apply to decontamination cleaning services.
Biological Decontamination Regulations
Although mold remediation regulations exist at the state level, they’re not federally regulated like biological decontamination cleaning services are. This includes disinfection services designed to deal with COVID-19 and other viruses, bacteria, and biological waste. These guidelines are provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
According to the OSHA, anyone performing decontamination services that involve biological hazards like viruses or diseases are legally required to undergo training under their HAZWOPER guidelines. These guidelines cover everything from chemical and biological remediation procedures to nuclear and explosive clean-up services. It’s important to note that any company that doesn’t follow such procedures can be heavily fined.
The guidelines include many different aspects, such as:
Proper documentation procedures
Employing the use of appropriate personal protective equipment
Following outlined decontamination procedures
Having a respiratory protection program
Performing on and off-site surveys
Properly setting up at a job site
Performing a hazard analysis
Creating safety and hazard communication plans
& More!
Is HAZWOPER Certification Needed to Decontaminate the COVID-19 Virus?
Before answering the question above, there are several important considerations to make, such as what a declared emergency requiring HAZWOPER certification looks like. What if a cleaning crew has been hired to solely perform preventative measures, is the certification needed then?
According to the OSHA, if you’re responding to a declared emergency involving a hazardous substance all those working in the area need HAZWOPER training, including workers handling post-emergency response clean-up services. Additionally, those decontaminating an area and trying to stop the spread of a virus or biological decontamination will need to have at least 24 hours of training; those simply providing preventative measures, a minimum of 8 hours.
An emergency can be declared by either an individual entity, or the local, state, and federal government. Coronavirus is considered a biological threat because it has the potential to kill 2-5% of the people that it infects.
Why Choose Next Level Facility Solutions?
Next Level Facility Solutions offers a proactive decontamination program designed to eradicate viruses like COVID-19 on contact, as well as provide surface-level disinfection throughout your entire business. We of course adhere to all of the local and federal regulations and the guidelines laid out by the CDC and WHO.
We provide general decontamination services as well as:
- Emergency Cleaning Services: Has someone in your facility contracted the COVID-19 virus? If so, Next Level Facility Solutions offers rapid response emergency cleaning solutions, disinfecting it so you can open for business again ASAP!
- Disinfectant Fogging: This is a thorough disinfection method that provides a deep clean, reaching all of those hard-to-reach surfaces throughout your building. It’s also quick and affordable and works as a great preventative measure against the spread of COVID-19.
- Services for All Businesses: Next Level Facility Solutions is equipped to perform decontamination services for every type of business and has worked with medical care facilities, gyms, offices, and more.
Contact us today for more about our decontamination cleaning services!
For those in need of emergency decontamination cleaning services, disinfectant fogging, or general disinfection services, Next Level Facility Solutions can help. We also specialize in carpet cleaning, tile and floor solutions, and many more commercial cleaning services, so contact us online today or call (859) 333-1211 (Lexington) or (502) 416-0022 (Louisville).
