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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Tip of the Month by John Lawrence

9/7/2016 (Permalink)

ARE THERE RACCOONS LIVING WITH YOU

Last month’s Tip of the Month focused on the Hospitality Industry dealing with prevention of suicides.

From this discussion I learned there are a lot of people that don’t have a good understanding of what biohazards are and why they are dangerous to one’s health.

So what is a biohazard? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

A biological agent or condition that is a hazard to humans or the environment; also:  a hazard posed by such an agent or condition

Bio-Hazard threats can be found anywhere. Your work place, your health provider’s office, the grocery store, your child’s school or day care and even your own home!Biohazard’s should be handled with extreme caution.

What are some biohazard examples?

  • Human blood and blood products. This includes items that have been contaminated with blood and other body fluids or tissues that contain visible blood.
  • Animal waste. Animal carcasses, body parts, and feces or any bedding material used by animals that are known to be infected with pathogenic organisms.
  • Human body fluids. Semen, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural fluid, vaginal secretions, pericardial fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva, and peritoneal fluid.
  • Microbiological wastes. Common in laboratory settings, examples of microbiological wastes include specimen cultures, disposable culture dishes, discarded viruses, and devices used to transfer or mix cultures.
  • Pathological waste. Unfixed human tissue (excluding skin), waste biopsy materials, and anatomical parts from medical procedures or autopsies.
  • Sharps waste. Needles, glass slides and cover slips, scalpels, and IV tubing that have the needle attached.

Biohazard Safety Levels with Examples

There are 4 levels of biohazards, according to the Centers for Disease Control:

  • Biohazard Level 1: Agents that pose minimal threat to humans and the environment. E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Naegleria gruberi.
  • Biohazard Level 2: Agents that can cause severe illness in humans and are transmitted through direct contact with infected material. Examples include HIV, hepatitis B, and salmonella.
  • Biohazard Level 3: Pathogens that can become airborne and cause serious diseases. Examples include tuberculosis and Coxiella burnetii.
  • Biohazard Level 4: Pathogens that pose a high risk of life-threatening disease for which there are no treatments. Examples include the Ebola virus and Lassa virus.

If you find yourself face to face with a potential biohazardous situation that is too big or too dangerous for you to handle on your own, let me know and I will send our trained professional staff to give you the help you need.

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