What You Should Do When Exposed on the Job

No one they say is perfect, not even trauma cleaners Miami FL. Although a professional crime scene cleaner goes through specific training that qualifies them to effectively use their PPE (personal protective equipment), there can still be times when the PPE fails to protect them completely.

Accidents by their mere definition are unforeseen and unplanned and thus hard to protect against. All trauma cleaners Miami FL can do is stick to safety protocol, rules, and regulations, and hope that everything goes fine. If things don’t however, and they find themselves accidentally stuck by a needle or they are exposed to bodily fluids from a trauma scene, here are a few things they should do immediately.

• If the point of contact is on the skin, then they should immediately wash the place with water and soap
• If, on the other hand, it was in the mouth or nose, they should just flush with a lot of warm water.
• If it got into their eyes, then they should irrigate them using clean water, preferably salt and water mixture, or a sterile irrigator.

Most professional crime scene cleanup companies usually have a protocol in place to deal with situations of exposure. Its best that exposed trauma cleaners stick to these protocols and report themselves if they’ve been compromised in any way. There is often an expert nurse or healthcare provider on the scene for cases like these. It wouldn’t hurt to lean on their expertise at that moment.

If a trauma cleaner becomes compromised in the line of action and has to report it, here are a few details he shouldn’t forget to give.

• The area of the body that was the point of contact.
• The sort of exposure it was, whether a needle stick or a splash of bodily fluids, etc. and how it happened.
• If it was bodily fluids, he should state the specific type and an estimated (as correctly as can be) amount.
• If it was sharp, he should state if any of the victims’ blood was visible on it
• If any of the fluid or blood was injected in him
• If any of the fluid touched an open sore on his own body
• How long he was exposed for.
• The machine or equipment he was operating/using (if any) at that time he was exposed.

The Dangers of an Exposure

Blood and bodily fluids can contain pathogens that could be harmful. This is why when a person dies, especially traumatically, one must be careful when on the death scene. Without a PPE, the chances of infection are greatly increased. 

A trauma cleaner who finds himself exposed to a victim’s bodily fluid or blood who had HIV, Hepatitis, or other sorts of deadly diseases must report himself immediately and have appropriate actions taken.

Although the risk of infection in many cases is low, trauma cleaners Miami FL must not take chances, for the sake of their personal safety and that of their loved ones.