Job-Related Injury Cleanup
Despite the regulations of occupational safety and health, thousands of work accidents happen at the workplace each year. When falls or machine entanglement occur, employees are exposed to dangerous blood pathogens. It is vital to follow proper cleaning methods and safequards to avoid a new job-related accident – infection.
This is why it’s important to hire trained and certified experts for a job-related injury cleanup. Bio Clean 911 has experience in biohazard cleaning and sanitizing. Call in our experts to ensure safety of your employees and law compliance whenever a job-related injury happens.
What is a Work-Related Injury
According to OSHA regulations, an injury is considered work-related if it resulted from an event or exposure in the work environment. The work environment relates to locations, where employees have to be present as a condition for their employment, in addition to the equipment and materials they have to use for their work.
There are several exceptions that state when the working environment does not make the injury job-related:
- When the injury only surface at the work environment
- If the injury results from voluntary employees’ activity or doing personal tasks not related to employment
- In case of eating and drinking related injuries
- In case of any injuries received during personal grooming and self-medication
- In case of intentionally self-inflicted injuries
- In case of injuries received in car accidents on the parking lot while commuting to work.
At the same time, the injury may be considered job-related if it caused the condition but surfaced outside of the working environment.
The employer is also liable for significant deterioration of the injury or illness their employees have already had. The injury or illness is considered “significantly aggravated” if the employee dies, loses consciousness, receives medical treatment or has to spend one of more days away from work, which would not have happened unless a particular workplace event or exposure.
Workplace Injury Stats
The latest 2017 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that while the number of deaths at work continues to decline, it is still alarmingly high. In 2017, 5,147 workers died on the job, this means there were 14 fatal injuries at the working environment every day of the year.
Construction remains the leading industry for worker fatalities. In private industries, 20.7% of fatalities were in construction. Most of these fatalities are caused by falls, being struck by an object, electrocutions and caught-in/between events.
Most job-related injuries result from neglecting viable risks. Here are some OSHA standards workers and employers violate most of all:
- Fall protection
- Hazard communication
- Scaffolding of construction workers
- Respiratory protection
- Lockout and tagout of hazardous energy
- Ladders use
- Work with powered industrial trucks and machinery
- Eye and face protection
Professional Cleanup Services
Fatalities, open fractures, or even simple cuts may have a grave effect on a working environment. First, the look of blood spills is depressing and is sure to lower the morale of non-affected employees. Second, there is a risk that employees get infected from blood and body fluids that can carry MRSA, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and other bloodborne pathogens.
If employees have been tasked to handle blood cleanup, any injury they recieve will be considered job-related. This is why employees should not be allowed to handle job-related injuries cleanup on their own unless they have received adequate blood safety training and certification.
When unfortunate work accident happens, it is necessary to block off the affected area and call certified professionals for blood cleanup and sanitation. Proper disinfection of the working environment is the only way to ensure the safety of employees and avoid further job-related injuries.
Cleanup Process
A job-related injury cleanup process should begin after the accident is documented and reported to the management team. The cleanup process includes the following steps:
- Assessment. Biohazard cleaning professionals assess the site, restrict access to it (if not done earlier) and set up containment around the site to avoid decontamination.
- Biohazard Removal. At this stage, cleaning technicians will remove all visible blood and body fluids. This is the most dangerous step, which poses high risk of infection if proper methodology is not observed.
- Cleaning and sanitizing. Bio wash involves removing any spills or stains with the help of specifically rated cleaning agents, disinfection and deodorizing of the entire site. The cleaning personnel should wear water-resistant coveralls, protective gloves and protective eyewear.
- Disposal. All the compromised, contaminated objects (e.g. broken glass or furniture), as well as disposable cleaning equipment should be placed in a biohazard bags. Experts should consult the local health department for disposal instructions.
Call Bio Clean 911 to Make Your Working Environment Safe Again
from the trusted biohazard cleaning company
