What are the Requirements for Crime Scene Cleanup Companies?

 

Cleaning up a crime scene involves containing, cleaning, and disinfecting potentially hazardous biological material. It is because of this danger that businesses and employees must meet certain requirements. These ensure the safety of everyone involved – from the workers to the family or business owner – and return the area to a pre-incident state.

What are the Requirements for a Crime Scene Cleanup Business?

While there is no industry license required to operate a crime scene cleanup company, there are state and local licenses and permits required to conduct certified business. Depending on where the company has an office or offices, it may be necessary to acquire a:

  • Medical Waste Transportation Permit
  • Biohazardous Medical Waste Transporter Registration
  • Trauma Scene Waste Practitioner Permit
  • Biomedical Waste Transporter Registration
  • Infectious Waste Transporter Permit
  • Hazardous Waste Transporter License Certificate

As you can see, it’s important for these companies to operate vehicles that adhere to strict laws governing transportation of biohazardous materials. It is equally important for crime scene cleanup crews to abide by OSHA standards, which dictate how all businesses and employees handle blood-borne pathogens, respiratory risks, and working in confined spaces – all of which apply to crime scene cleaning.

What are the Requirements for Employees of Crime Scene Cleanup Companies?

There is no such thing as a national certification within the crime scene cleanup industry. The certifications and training that many technicians possess are ones offered by the company for completing their program.

Education

A high school diploma or GED is the only academic degree that you need to possess for most crime scene cleanup businesses. That’s because on-the-job training is provided for these technicians. However, any reputable company will require that technicians obtain certifications in subjects such as blood-borne pathogens, hazardous materials transportation, personal protective equipment training, airborne pathogens, and hazardous waste generation.

Experience

It is not required that technicians have a background in crime scene cleanup. But having some experience with emergency medicine, forensics, or public health can be extremely beneficial, as well as having used various tools and machinery to accomplish work-related tasks.

Personal Background

Technicians should be physically fit because this can be a strenuous job. From moving furniture to days-long cleaning jobs, there is a lot of manual labor to be completed. Most companies will check for a clean criminal background, and you must pass a drug test. Random drug tests may also be required to maintain your position.

 

Additional FAQs

  • What do crime scene cleaners do?

    • Crime scene cleaners at Aftermath are called upon when a traumatic experience occurs at a home or business. When physical remains such as blood or bodily fluids are present, our professional crime scene cleaners clean and disinfect the impacted area. Crime scene cleaners must be expertly trained and adhere to OSHA regulations to protect both themselves and those present at the scene.

  • How hard is it to be a crime scene cleaner?

    • Crime scene cleaners are often tasked with physically challenging and abnormal jobs. Therefore you must be physically fit and be ready prepared for the scenes you will be cleaning.

  • How do I become a crime scene cleaner?

  • Who cleans up after death?

    • Whether it be an unattended death, murder or suicide, crime scene cleaners or biohazard experts are trained in expertly remediating an area that was exposed to bodily fluids and other biohazardous materials.