Coronavirus Decontamination:
5 Things to Know When Calling a Professional
October 15, 2020
Have any of your employees or loved ones tested positive for Coronavirus? If so, you might be wondering what to do. If you decide to call a professional to decontaminate your workplace or home, then it is imperative you hire a licensed, experienced company.
Here are 5 questions to ask a company you are considering to hire:
1. What chemical are you using, and is it EPA approved for Coronavirus?
2. Are you properly insured? Ask to see their Certificate of Insurance (COI)
3. Is proper PPE (bio suits, gloves, booties, full face respirators) being utilized during the disinfection?
4. Are the technicians trained in CDC and OSHA Protocols?
5. Are you a federally registered company? Ask to see their EIN.
If they cannot provide these items, then they are likely not qualified to do this kind of work. Bio-One is the only company that is available nationwide and has extensive experience with infectious disease decontamination. All Bio-One franchise owners have been thoroughly trained, have the proper chemicals that are EPA approved, and have the proper PPE to ensure not only the safety of themselves, but also to minimize possible cross-contamination.
So, when should you call a professional? If you, someone that lives with you, or someone you came into contact with tested positive for Coronavirus, make that call. Professional decontamination ensures the best possible result and minimizes the potential spreading of the virus. However, if no one has tested positive, you may use one of the EPA approved products and try disinfecting on your own (be certain to apply the disinfectants per product specifications). If you don’t feel confident in your ability to disinfect properly, then you might want to have a professional do it. Professionals, such as Bio-One, are available around-the-clock and understand COVID-19 needs to be disinfected as quickly as possible.
It’s our job and privilege to keep you safe and healthy. Please don’t hesitate to call or email us with any questions you may have!
While out and about meeting folks at police and fire departments across Northeast Ohio last week, I was introduced to an important member of the Vienna Township Fire Department. His name is Oscar. He is a cat.
The kitty showed up at the firehouse about 5 years ago, cold and hungry. The firefighters brought him inside to give him some food and make sure he had a warm place to sleep. It was the night of the Oscars on TV – the cat’s fur coincidentally looked like a tuxedo – so the name “Oscar” seemed fitting.
Oscar never left. In fact, he NEVER steps outside the fire station, even when the loud alarms are going off. Fire Chief Richard Brannon believes Oscar’s purpose is to be here. This cat seems to have an uncanny knack of knowing when someone is stressed and needs to be calmed. There was a horrific accident last Summer, for instance, when the chief returned to the firehouse troubled by what he saw. Oscar knew immediately something was up, and settled onto Chief Brannon’s lap, stretching his front legs up to the chief’s neck, as if he were giving him a hug.
Oscar, though, was the source of a little stress on one occasion. As he sometimes does, Oscar playfully batted at the telephone, knocking it off the hook. He then fell asleep with his paw on the 911 alarm. Dispatchers tried unsuccessfully calling the fire station, but thankfully were able to reach one of the firefighters before dispatching a full emergency response.
Oscar slept through it all.
Check on Your Loved One
SEP 04, 2020
Many of us have an older parent living alone. And despite our best intentions, we don't get to visit as often as we'd like or hope to. This could be a fatal mistake.
This week our Bio-One technicians have responded to an increased number of undiscovered deaths - people living alone who passed away with no one knowing. Some were dead for days, a couple others were there for weeks before anyone noticed they were gone. On more than one occasion it was the smell of decomposition that alerted people living nearby something was wrong.
Decompositions are more numerous in the Summer months. They could be more frequent due to the heat contributing to the cause of death, but the heat is definitely a part of why they are discovered. On the business side of things, the more a body decomposes, the more damage can be caused to the property Carpet often has to be removed, and in more severe cases, we might need to remove two layers of subfloor in order to properly eliminate bio-hazards/body fluids. It can even go as far as having to demo walls and cabinets, or else the smell and hazards will continue to be present.
This is our job, but our hearts break a little each time. And even if you are visiting loved ones regularly, realize they may not always be straightforward about how they’re doing on their own - perhaps they don’t want you to worry. This year, due to COVID 19, many seniors had no choice but to stay isolated. However, there are programs to help you keep tabs. The Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) launched a free, daily check-in phone service for Ohio’s older residents called "Staying Connected." Also check your local community. The city of Cuyahoga Falls, for instance, has a program called "Senior Watch" - if someone cannot reach your loved one by phone, then a police officer will go to the home. Efforts like these could give you peace of mind in knowing you are doing all you can.
The Business of Helping People
August 27, 2020
After the police are gone and the yellow tape has been cut, who is responsible for remediating crime scenes? The job is much more than cleaning up blood, tissue, human waste, or toxic drug residue. Bio-One’s technicians are the unseen force that restore normalcy and stability to the families affected.
Historically, crime scene cleanup has usually been done by the victim's family. For many, facing the ghastly scene of such personal trauma was too much to bear and had lasting effects. In addition, scientific advancements in the 20th century have raised concerns over exposure to bloodborne pathogens and chemical residue. The need for trained technicians has given way to Bio-One being one of the nation’s leading crime scene clean up companies.
We never know what we’re going to walk in to, so we go in with the mindset that we’re here to help and will do whatever it takes to get that family and their home back in order. Knowing we are helping is how we handle the things we see and touch.
We keep our work as discreet as we can, and that’s why you will never see our name on our trucks. If there were a suicide or homicide in your neighborhood, it’s true that you would want to know. But, the details are not ours to share and we certainly want to respect the privacy of such delicate matters for the family members.
This job is not for everyone because the work can be both physically and emotionally taxing. On the other hand, it is one of the most rewarding professions one can do.
There truly are jobs that make us lose our faith in humanity but then when the work is complete and the family members cannot thank us enough for helping them, we realize why we personally are in this business and why our employees are so dedicated.
If you ever know anyone who may need our services OR you are interested in helping others, please don’t hesitate to contact BioOne Akron.
Germs have been rough this year and continue to hit during spring. Reports on the potential dangers of antibiotic-resistant superbugs mingle with discussions of the effectiveness of vaccinations and various other medical interventions. While germs may be too small to be seen with the naked eye, encountering them can have a major impact on your health, and these microscopic menaces can lie in wait on a wide array of common surfaces. How long can germs live on surfaces? And what can you do to protect yourself and your health?
When germs are on the prowl, no place is safe. Buses, commuter trains, rental cars, and private vehicles transport both people and virulent germs. Retail establishments, health clubs, educational institutions, restaurants, hotel rooms, and even cruise ship cabins can shelter germs. In fact, practically anything that you touch can expose you to germs, putting your health at risk. According to the National Health Service, the lifespan of a germ varies depending on the type of germ and the surface that it is on. How long can germs live on surfaces? Below we explore a few common examples.
The common cold is a frequent source of misery. A variety of viruses can trigger it, and like other viruses, cold germs tend to survive for longer periods on hard, nonporous surfaces like desktops and handrails. On suitable indoor surfaces, cold germs can linger for days, but fortunately they rarely remain infectious for more than 24 hours. Cold viruses can also thrive on the skin, but their survival time there is generally measured in mere minutes or hours.
Viruses that cause influenza can survive in the air as droplets for hours and live on hard surfaces like phones and keyboards for up to 24 hours. Infectious flu viruses clinging to a tissue can last for about 15 minutes, but viruses on the hands tend to fade quickly. Most will be only a minimal threat after five minutes. It may be a small window of time, but influenza germs don’t warn you of their presence and can make you very sick if you’re unlucky enough to encounter them when they’re infectious.
A highly contagious virus that triggers stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea in those unfortunate enough to catch it, a norovirus can spread through small droplets that travel through the air before settling on surfaces like elevator buttons, table tops, and clothing. While they don’t thrive as successfully on porous materials like tissues and fabrics, noroviruses can survive on hard surfaces for days or weeks if the conditions are favorable.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, the culprits behind dangerous MRSA infections, are unfazed by many of the antibiotics that are effective in combating other staph infections. Like viruses, these germs tend to survive for shorter periods on porous surfaces than they do on nonporous ones, but they’re capable of living for days or weeks on surfaces if the circumstances are right.
Everyone has seen it. If you’ve worked in restaurants or other public venues, you may even have wielded it: the dreaded wet, grey rag. Habitually passed over tabletops between customers with a few desultorily swipes, it is an obviously inadequate weapon when it comes to eradicating germs. But what is required to disinfect a surface?
If you want to kill the germs lurking on a surface, you need to choose an appropriate disinfectant. You also have to apply it properly. That means saturating the surface with enough of the germ-fighting chemical to get the job done and ensuring that there’s enough contact time (time when the chemical is on the surface) to allow it to eliminate any germs present. Choosing a low-grade disinfectant or skimping on either saturation or contact time can compromise your germ-fighting efforts, so it’s vital that you choose your products carefully and read and follow their directions.
