The Top 13 Worst Jobs with the Best Pay

These are dirty jobs and somebody has to do them. At least they get paid well for their efforts
Think you have a lousy job? You're not alone. So do about half of your fellow workers—and about a quarter of them are only showing up to collect a paycheck, according to a survey conducted by London-based market information company TNS. Grumbling over the size of that check is common, too. About two-thirds of workers believe they don't get paid enough, says TNS—even though many of them may actually be overpaid, compared to average compensation data

Crime-Scene Cleaner
Average pay: $50,400
If crime-scene cleanup was just wiping blood off the floors—well, that would be easy. But CSI fans with get-rich-quick dreams should note the job involves more than handiness with a mop and a tolerance for the smell of decomposing flesh. Getting rid of bodily fluids typically calls for more rough-and-ready methods, such as ripping up carpet, tile, and baseboards. It also sometimes means working in confined spaces (if someone was electrocuted in an attic, for example). And when tearing up old houses, workers face exposure to hazards such as lead paint and asbestos—not to mention the combustible chemicals involved in drug-lab abatement.

Crime Scene Cleanup: What It Involves

The Restoration Resource

A crime scene cleanup service is not without its complications. Crime scene cleaning encompasses restoring the crime scene to its original state. When a crime is usually discovered, crime scene cleaners are not called until after officers of the law, like the crime scene investigators, have done their jobs first and have given the go ahead for the cleaners to come in. If you intend to hire a crime scene cleanup company, you must make sure that they are well equipped and fit right to get the job done. A crime scene presents challenging conditions.

The Use Of Protective Gears:
Crime scenes can very well involve the use of hazardous or deadly substances. For safety reasons then, it has become imperative that crime scene cleaners use protective clothing, in addition to protective tools and gadgets. You must see to it that they have all the necessary protective gears and gadgets. The protective clothing can consist of disposable gloves and suits. A disposable gear is preferred nowadays since it offers the best protection against contamination. You use it one time and get rid of it. That way, the dangers of contamination is virtually brought down to zero percent. Protective clothing extends to respirators and the use of heavy-duty industrial or chemical-spill protective boots.

Among the gadgets that a crime scene cleaning company must have are special brushes, special sprayers, and wet vacuum. These special tools ensure added protection against getting into contact with the hazard could very well be present in the crime scene. There is large, special equipment such as a mounted steam injection tool that is designed to sanitize dried up biohazard materials such as scattered flesh and brain. You would also need to check if they have the specialized tank for chemical treatments and industrial strength waste containers to collect biohazard waste.

Of course, any crime scene clean up must have the usual cleaning supplies common to all cleaning service companies. There are the buckets, mops, brushes and spray bottles. For cleaning products, you should check if they use industrial cleaning products. A crime scene cleaning company must have these on their lists:

1 - Disinfectants including hydrogen peroxide and bleaches - The kinds that the hospitals used are commonly acceptable.

2 - Enzyme solvers for cleaning blood stains. It also kills viruses and bacteria.

3 - Odor removers such as foggers, ozone machines, and deodorizers

4 - Handy tools for breaking and extending such as saws, sledgehammers, and ladders

Established crime scene operators also equip themselves with cameras and take pictures of the crime scene before commencing work which. The pictures taken may prove useful for legal matters and insurance purposes. You never know which.

Needless to say, a specially fitted form of transportation and proper waste disposal is also needed. These requirements are specific. As you can imagine, crime scene cleaning is in a different category on its own. A home cleaning or janitorial service company may not be able to cope up with the demands of a crime scene. A crime scene cleanup service requires many special gears and tools that a home cleaning or a janitorial service company does not usually have or does not require. Crime scene cleaning if not done correctly can expose the public to untold hazards.

What Else To Look For In A Crime Scene Cleanup Company
You may also want to hire a company that has established itself. An experienced company with a strong reputation is always a plus but it could be expensive too. You will do well to balance your needs with what is your budget. There are several companies that offer specific prices such as for death scene clean up categories and suicide clean up categories. Most companies own a website and have round the clock customer service as receptionists.

When looking for a suitable crime scene cleaning service, among the first things you need to do is to scout for price quotes. Crime scene cleanup services usually provide quote after they have examined the crime scene and then they give you a definite quote. Factors that are usually considered include the number of personnel that will be needed to get the job done. It also includes the amount of time that might be needed. The nature and amount of the waste materials that need to be disposed will also be factored in. You can be sure that the more sophisticated equipments needed the more expensive it will get.

Crime Scene Cleanup And Your Insurance
For homeowners, the best approach is always to make sure that crime scene cleanup services clauses and provisions are written down on the contracts or policies. The inclusion of crime cleanup services clauses is very common and has become standard clause in most homeowner’s policy. Make sure that you are covered for this unforeseen event. Make sure that your policy directs the crime scene cleaning company to transact directly with the homeowner insurance company. A crime scene cleaning service is usually a standard clause in many homeowners’ insurance clause. These companies often do the paperwork in behalf of clients.

If for some reason you do not have such coverage by any policies relating to crime scene cleanup on your home, there are ways to keep your expenses controlled.

Finding the right company can be very taxing, especially that you have to deal with the emotional stress stemming from the crime itself, especially with a crime scene involving death.

There are many crime scene cleanup companies in operation nowadays. There are reliable professionals that you can hire and prices are relatively competitive. As of recently, crime-scene cleanup services can cost up to $600 for an hour of their service. A homicide case alone involving a single room and a huge amount of blood can cost about $1,000 to $3,000.

In recent years, crime scene cleaning has come to be known as, "Crime and Trauma Scene Decontamination or CTS. Basically, CTS is a special form of crime scene cleaning focusing on decontamination of the crime scene from hazardous substances such as those resulting from violent crimes or those involving chemical contaminations such as methamphetamine labs or anthrax production. This type of service is particularly common when violent crimes are committed in a home. It is rare that the residents move out of the home after it has become a scene of a crime. Most often, the residents just opt to have it cleaned up. That is why, it is very important to hire the best crime scene cleaning company out there. The place needs to be totally free from contamination of any kind. You have to make sure that the company is able to remove all traces of the violent crime that took place. This includes cleaning biohazards that are sometimes invisible to the untrained eye.

Legally speaking, federal laws state that all bodily fluids are deemed biohazards and you should make sure that the cleanup service company you hire understands this and includes it in the cleanup. These things appear as blood or tissue splattered on a crime scene. You must be able to hire a company that is equipped with special knowledge to safely handle biohazard materials. The company must have the knowledge what to search for in any give biohazard crime scene. For instance, the company should be able to tell clues such that if there is a bloodstain the size of a thumbnail on a carpet, you can bet that there is about a huge bloodstain underneath. Federal and State laws have their own laws in terms of transport and disposal of biohazard waste. Make sure that the company you hire has all the permits necessary.

It will also be a huge plus if you could hire people who not only has the special trainings but also who have the nature to be sympathetic. If you are close to the victim and have the cleaning done at the behest of the victim’s relatives, it would matter that the cleaners tread the site with some level of respect. It is a common site that family members and loved ones are often there at scene. In general, when looking for a suitable crime scene cleaners, you would take into considerations the kind of situation that the crimes scene presents and the demands that it require. Crime scene cleaning companies handle a wide variety of crime scenes and prices may vary from one to the other crime scene and one to the other company.

Each type of scene requires its own particular demands not only to make the crime scene look clean and neat on the surface but to make it germ free, and clean inside and to make it free from all deadly and infectious substances. The cleanup cost for biohazards may vary depending on degree of the bio hazard(s) on the scene. There may even be a category that changes the cleanup pricing which usually involves decomposing bodies and carcasses. Likewise, a cleanup of chemical hazards vary, depending on the amount of chemical hazards as well as the grades i.e. how hazardous the substance is in terms of human contact. Prices are also determined by the number of hours and personnel that it would to get the crime scene cleaned. In addition, the "gross factor" from crime scene involving death and gore needs to be taken under consideration regarding the chemicals that will be used as opposed to those crimes' that do not have gore involved.

Risks of Using In-house Employees for Environmental Cleanups

By Gerard M. Giordano, Esq.

In an attempt to save money, property owners may be tempted to use their own Employees to clean up contamination at their facilities in order to comply with state or federal environmental laws. However, there may not be any real savings because when property owners (as employers)do commit to such a venture,they must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA)regulations that may be applicable. These are designed to protect employees from occupational injuries and illnesses,and failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines that may offset any savings.

A property owner who orders his employees to clean up or work with hazardous substances must comply with a number of precautionary regulations. The most comprehensive is 29 CFR 1910.120, which deals with hazardous waste operations and emergency response. An employer is required to develop and put into writing a safety and health program for any employees engaged in hazardous waste cleanup operations.

The elements of an effective program include requiring an employer to identify and evaluate specific hazards and to determine the appropriate safety and health control procedures to protect employees before any work is initiated. Likewise, protective equipment must be utilized by employees during the initial site entry and, if required,during subsequent work at the site. The employer must also periodically monitor employees who may be exposed to hazardous substances in excess of OSHA ’s regulations.

Once the presence and concentration of specific hazardous substances and health hazards have been established, employees involved in the cleanup operations must be informed of any risks associated with their work. Under certain ircumstances,regular ongoing medical surveillance of employees by a licensed physician, and without cost to the employees or lost pay, may be required.

Numerous other safeguards are also required by OSHA. For example, OSHA’s hazardous communications program, 29 CFR 1910.120, requires an employer to establish and implement a hazard communication program if, during the course of the cleanup, employees may be exposed to hazardous chemicals.

The requirements are essentially the same as those in workplaces where employees are routinely exposed to hazardous chemicals. The program must include container labeling, production of material safety data sheets and employee training. The employer must also provide a full description of the OSHA compliance program to employees, contractors and subcontractors involved with the cleanup operations as well as OSHA,and to any other federal,state or local agency with regulatory authority over the cleanup.

Regulation 29 CFR 1910.120 also requires an employer that retains the services of a contractor or subcontractor to inform them of any identified potential hazards of the cleanup operations. Generally, it is the involvement of employees that triggers an employer’s obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. If contractors were retained, it would be the contractors’ responsibility to comply with these OSHA requirements on behalf of their employees, assuming that the employer
retaining the contractor has neither employees involved in the cleanup nor employees potentially exposed to health hazards arising from the cleanup.

In addition to the contractor’s required compliance with OSHA regulations, it is imperative that a property owner include in any agreement with the contractor that the contractor must comply with all pertinent OSHA regulations. If possible,the agreement should also provide for indemnifications from the contractor to the property owner for claims arising from the cleanup. These indemnifications will be important if the employees of the contractor are injured or subsequently become ill because of such work. The indemnifications should survive the completion of the work. These precautions will help insulate the property owner from both governmental actions and potential third-party claims.

Failure to comply with OSHA regulations on the part of the property owner who uses his own employees to perform a cleanup or work with hazardous substances may result in substantial penalties. Under OSHA, fines can be levied for each violation found by an inspector. These violations can result in non-serious, serious or willful violations with penalties as high as $70,000 for each violation. If a subsequent inspection is performed and violations are found which have not been corrected from an original inspection,daily penalties could be levied resulting in substantial fines.

Compliance with OSHA regulations should be a factor when a property owner decides to use in-house employees for cleanups. In the long run, there may not be any savings to the employer. Furthermore, because of the employer’s lack of familiarity with the OSHA regulations governing the cleanup of hazardous sites,the employer could be subject to fines as a result of its failure to comply with the OSHA regulations.

Therefore, it may be prudent in the long run to retain a company whose business is devoted to doing only cleanups. This company will have the expertise and continuing obligations to protect its employees.

Gerard Giordano is special counsel at the law firm of Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard, P.A., based in Hackensack, NJ. He is a member of the firm’s Environmental Department, and his practice focuses particularly on OSHA matters. Prior to practicing law, Mr. Giordano worked at the U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as an industrial hygiene compliance officer.

Life of Grime: Chris Mendoza cleans up crime scenes in the South Bay

By Hugh Biggar

Life can indeed be nasty, brutish and short. Just ask Crime Scene Cleaners Inc., a company whose business is taking care of life's messes. In blood-red letters, its pick-up trucks advertise its services accidental death, homicides, suicides call 1.800.357.6731.
"People are animals," Neal Smither, founder and president of the private company, says.

He should know. Since 1996, Crime Scene Cleaners has thrived on cleaning up crime scenes, suicides, houses filled with waste and the occasional whale.

"We're not gore-mongers, it's a work proposition," Smither says of the business. "But we don't turn anything down, unless it's off the chart severity."

"You can't put a price on that service," says John Hirokawa, a captain with the Santa Clara County sheriffs' office.

Chris Mendoza, a Crime Scene Cleaners employee in Santa Clara County, also stresses the service side of the work.

"People tell me, if it weren't for you, I don't know what we would do," he says.

Smither, 38, founded Crime Scene Cleaners in 1996 after renting the movie Pulp Fiction. At that point in his life, he had dropped out of Soquel High School to surf, then drifted from the Navy to selling bonds. He was living in San Francisco and considering mortuary school when Pulp Fiction changed his life.

"It was an epiphany," he says of a scene where two gangsters call in a professional known as The Wolf to help clean a bloody car. "I thought to myself, that's a great idea."

Smither placed classified ads in newspapers and created fliers to distribute to Bay Area police stations. After a month, Smither got his first call from the sister of a cancer patient who committed suicide in Marin County.

"I didn't know if I could do it," Smither says now. "I didn't know what to expect or what to charge." Smither bought basic cleaning supplies at a drugstore and arrived with little more than a strong stomach and a willingness to try.

"I remember thinking, this isn't so bad, and it went quickly," he says. He made $175 in an hour and thought, "I'm onto something."

Smither's first wife divorced him because she was embarrassed by the work. He later married his banker. But Crime Scene Cleaners has since boomed by providing a service traditionally performed by police officers, police mechanics and family and friends. Due to blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis C found at crime scenes, the business has also been federally regulated since 1998.

Headquartered in Orinda, Crime Scene Cleaners now has 18 offices throughout the United States; the Bay Area, and especially Santa Clara County, provides most of its local business.

"We routinely call them out," said Lt. John Carr, head of the San Jose traffic investigations unit. "Those folks are out there, scrubbing on their hands and knees. They leave nothing."

Carr said the department used Crime Scene Cleaners in Almaden Valley to clean up after a fatal traffic accident last October.

"We've used the service for quite awhile, ever since AIDS and air-borne pathogens became an issue," Hirokawa says. "It's a safety issue. We used to wash the cars ourselves with rags, hoses and hand sprayers," he says of vomit and other bodily fluids from passengers. These sorts of accidents are not uncommon in police cars (and why the cars have no carpeting). "We would flush it into the drains or put stuff in the garbage, but you can't do that now."

Given the safety concerns and regulations, Crime Scene Cleaners employees receive six months of intensive training in biohazards prior to employment. On the job, they don masks and white suits that cover them from head to toe. Perched on ladders or crouched down on all fours, they scrub with an enzyme that breaks down proteins and sanitizes.

Police officers have traditionally done their own cleaning, but because of greater understanding about blood pathogens, the San Jose police department has given over many of its cleaning duties to Crime Scene Cleaners.

"In the old days, we would take a hose and wash it down the drain," said Sgt. Steve Gracie, supervisor of the crime scene unit. "Attitudes have changed. We didn't think of blood as a biohazard. Now, people treat it differently. It could be infected with disease."

Officers will always be exposed to bloodied and coughing members of the public, but Gracie said that being able to depend on Crime Scene Cleaners to clean up public spaces and their offices, when it warrants, alleviates their job.

"It's better for the officer and for the community," he said. "Crime Scene Cleaners have been very good for us."

It's not always the gory things that get the cleaners out, but definitely the messy ones.

"We used them in our office a few weeks ago, when there was an elderly witness who was inebriated and urinated in the chair," Gracie said.

In addition to cleaning police cars, Crime Scene Cleaners' work includes cleaning up after gang disputes, cleaning waste-filled houses and cleaning motel rooms used by methamphetamine users.

This is especially true when the unusual comes calling. A few years ago Crime Scene Cleaners got a call from officials in Fremont after a dead whale washed up in a flood channel and got stuck. Workers from Crime Scene Cleaners used construction excavation equipment to remove it and buried the whale in a 300-foot pit nearby.

Such situations are typical of the fast thinking the work requires. "I'm improvising all the time," Smither says during an interview in between fielding calls.

One is from a motel employee in Georgia.

"Where is the manager?" Smither barks. "Get him on the phone."

There is a call from one of his employees on a job in Idaho.

"That's going to take three dumpsters, Max," he advises. "Go look at the dumpsters behind a grocery store and find a number to call."

And there is even a call from the local cops. On this morning, the Orinda police need some help with blood found on stairs.

Mendoza, 23, the cleaner largely responsible for Santa Clara County, also constantly improvises and is on call 24 hours a day from Friday through Tuesday.

His workday can include handling corpses to taking apart a room where a crime took place, removing anything--tiling, sinks, mirrors--that could remind someone of an unfortunate incident.

His biggest dislike is the creepy crawlies. "The worst thing for me is the scabies," Mendoza says. "You find them in the squad cars from people's clothes and stuff," he says of the little bugs he finds so disgusting.

"This job teaches you a lot about life," he says.

In addition to the dirty work of cleaning and hauling (waste is either taken to an incinerator in the East Bay or encapsulated in foam and taken to a dump), cleaners also must be able to handle grieving family members and to negotiate prices.

"You can't be a [weak-minded] in this job," Smither says. Most employees generally last about eight months, he says. "You have to be able to go in, assess the scene, use sensitivity and negotiate."

Mendoza, who previously sold electronics at the Santana Row Best Buy, hopes to be an exception to the eight-month standard.

"This is something you can really grow with because most people can't do it," he says. On days he is not working he even volunteers to help clean the morgue as a favor to his friends there. "It isn't disgusting and doesn't bother me at all," he says, "although I do sometimes get nightmares."

Regardless of the assignment, in the Bay Area the work is completed quickly and thoroughly. Both Smither and Mendoza pride themselves on this point.

"Same day, always," Smither says.

In the Bay Area, which for Crime Scene Cleaners stretches from Watsonville to the Napa Valley, this translates into responding to a call within 60 minutes. Nationally, Crime Scene Cleaners responds to calls within 24 hours. It also helped with relief efforts in New Orleans.

"You have to always wear the proper stuff and can't be lazy and cheap shot it," Mendoza says. This includes wearing protective body suits and respirators if necessary, and ripping out floors if needed to clean beneath crime scenes--particularly important for getting rid of odors.

"Once we are done, people are not going to see anything," he says. "People say thanks ... and I hope we never meet again."

Staff writer Michele Leung contributed to this article.





Copyright © Knight Ridder

The economic cost of methamphetamine use in the United States

Medical Research News

The economic cost of methamphetamine use in the United States reached $23.4 billion in 2005, including the burden of addiction, premature death, drug treatment and many other aspects of the drug, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The RAND study is the first effort to construct a comprehensive national assessment of the costs of the methamphetamine problem in the United States.

"Our findings show that the economic burden of methamphetamine abuse is substantial," said Nancy Nicosia, the study's lead author and an economist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization.

Although methamphetamine causes some unique harms, the study finds that many of the primary issues that account for the burden of methamphetamine use are similar to those identified in economic assessments of other illicit drugs.

Given the uncertainty in estimating the costs of methamphetamine use, researchers created a range of estimates. The lowest estimate for the cost of methamphetamine use in 2005 was $16.2 billion, while $48.3 billion was the highest estimate. Researchers' best estimate of the overall economic burden of methamphetamine use is $23.4 billion

The study was sponsored by the Meth Project Foundation, a nonprofit group dedicated to reducing first-time methamphetamine use. Additional support was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"We commissioned this study to provide decision makers with the best possible estimate of the financial burden that methamphetamine use places on the American public," said Tom Siebel, founder and chairman of the Meth Project. "This is the first comprehensive economic impact study ever to be conducted with the rigor of a traditional cost of illness study, applied specifically to methamphetamine. It provides a conservative estimate of the total cost of meth, and it reinforces the need to invest in serious prevention programs that work."

The RAND analysis found that nearly two-thirds of the economic costs caused by methamphetamine use resulted from the burden of addiction and an estimated 900 premature deaths among users in 2005. The burden of addiction was measured by quantifying the impact of the lower quality of life experienced by those addicted to the drug.

Crime and criminal justice expenses account for the second-largest category of economic costs, according to researchers. These costs include the burden of arresting and incarcerating drug offenders, as well as the costs of additional non-drug crimes caused by methamphetamine use, such as thefts committed to support a drug habit.

Other costs that significantly contribute to the RAND estimate include lost productivity, the expense of removing children from their parents' homes because of methamphetamine use and spending for drug treatment.

One new category of cost captured in the analysis is the expense associated with the production of methamphetamine. Producing methamphetamine requires toxic chemicals that can result in fire, explosions and other events. The resulting costs include the injuries suffered by emergency personnel and other victims, and efforts to clean up the hazardous waste generated by the production process.

Researchers caution that their estimates are in some cases based on an emerging understanding of methamphetamine's role in these harms and should be further refined as understanding of these issues matures. The RAND report also identifies costs that cannot yet be adequately quantified.

"Estimates of the economic costs of illicit drug use can highlight the consequences of illegal drug use on our society and focus attention on the primary drivers of those costs," Nicosia said. "But more work is needed to identify areas where interventions to reduce these harms could prove most effective."

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive substance that can be taken orally, injected, snorted or smoked. While national surveys suggest that methamphetamine use is far from common, there is evidence that the harms of methamphetamine may be concentrated in certain regions. One indicator of the problem locally is treatment admissions. Methamphetamine was the primary drug of abuse in 59 percent of the treatment admissions in Hawaii in 2004 and accounted for 38 percent of such admissions in Arizona in 2004.

Crime Scene Steri Clean-Cory Chalmers

Sunshine Cleaning (Release date March 13th 2009)

Sunshine Cleaning is a comedy-drama starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt.

Sunshine Cleaning follows an average family that finds the path to its dreams in an unlikely setting. A single mom and her slacker sister find an unexpected way to turn their lives around - once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirty something single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is still living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes. Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other…specialized situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the sisters find a true respect for one another and the closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. By building their own improbable business, Rose and Norah open the door to the joys and challenges of being there for one another—no matter what—while creating a brighter future for the entire Lorkowski family.

Here’s the Sunshine Cleaning Trailer, hit HQ in the menu bottom right for improved quality. The movie is due out March 13, 2009.

How to Clean Up a Crime Scene

By Claire Suddath

Nobody forced Alan Emmins to clean up a crime scene. The British journalist had never written about crime and had no experience with anything involving blood. But there was something about Neal Smithers, owner of San Francisco-based Crime Scene Cleaners, that made Emmins want to find out what he was missing. His book, Mop Men: Inside the World of Crime Scene Cleaners follows Smithers — who started his company after watching Pulp Fiction — from a double murder to a slit-wrist suicide, and all the gruesome, partially-decomposed scenes in between.

What was it like when you saw your first crime scene?
The first one I went into was in a motel bathroom. It was a suicide. There was a lot of blood. I was surprised that it wasn't actually that bad because I'd seen bloody walls and bloody bathrooms on television. It was so impersonal I couldn't relate it to anything.

Were there any aspects of death that you were surprised to learn that you hadn't heard of or thought of before?
I think the actions of the people surrounding the victims are what surprised me the most. When I was working with Neal there was one elderly man we were cleaning up who had decomposed for almost a month. Standing in the driveway was this guy's daughter and grandchild, and they lived within 5 miles of this man. They never even checked in on him. And that's the stuff that's really staggering, the people who stand at the front of the house, arguing about who gets what and hustling the cleaners about cleaning the mess up as quick as possible. All they care about are smells and stains because they want to sell the property as quickly as possible.

How many jobs did Neal do a day?
I think at the time we were averaging 150 jobs a month, but they weren't all deaths. Neal has a lot of deals with hotels and motels, which are a common place to commit suicide. But he also cleaned up vomit in police cars. There are really strict laws about who can clean up fluids in a prison or a police car. I think they stem from this one time when an officer cleaned blood out of the police car and contracted hepatitis, and so he sued the state and got a big payment. Now if somebody bleeds or vomits or even spits in a police car the officers aren't allowed to clean it up. They have to call someone to come and clean it. I know Neal was called in to clean up after a fight in a prison shower where there was quite a lot of blood. So there's quite a mixture of situations, although most of them are suicides.

Can you take me through the general process of what happens when Crime Scene Cleaners gets a call?
First they look at all the objects that should be thrown away. Say the suicide is in the bedroom. Straight away the bedclothes come off, they're going to be thrown away. The mattress, that's going to be thrown away. If there are valuables that can be cleaned, they'll start cleaning them and moving them out of the way. If it's a carpeted floor, there's no cleaning this stuff out of the carpet so they'll roll it up and that will be taken away. Then they'll start scrubbing the walls. They use an enzyme on the walls, it breaks the blood down and makes it easier to clean. And then there floorboards. You can't physically remove all the stains from floorboards so they clean it as best the can and paint a sealant on the top. And that's mostly it. If it's a bedroom, it's pretty easy.

What is the best way to die in terms of leaving as little mess as possible?
Die with someone you know very close by, I guess. And tile floor, absolutely tile floor. A bathroom is definitely the easiest.

So, for the cleaning man's sake, you should expire of natural causes in a bathroom and be found quickly?
Yep, for sure. Although I did see one guy who was murdered and dumped in a bathtub. He decomposed in there for an awful long time and there was nothing easy about that cleanup because he'd been there a month. There was all of this fluid and the drainage system was blocked. It's not always easy to clean up a scene just because it's on a nice ceramic surface.

Was there any point where you thought this is too much, I can't take this I'm gonna go write about something nicer?
Oh yep. I remember going out there and thinking Neal was this ghastly person. His slogan was "Praying for Death." He'd say that every morning he'd wake up and pray for death, and it would just keep coming. He'd get delighted when he received a phone call about a shotgun suicide. I remember thinking he was this mean, horrible character. And then the same thing happened to me. I was trying to write a book that's potentially going to be earning money off of people dying.

Once, nobody died for 8 days. And I caught myself feeling very frustrated because I was researching a book and nobody was dying. Neal noticed and said 'Hey, you're praying for death.' It really jolted me, I thought, 'My God, I'm as bad as Neal.' Then I realized no, I'm actually much worse than Neal. He was invited to the crime scenes; people called him to come and clean the visual remains of a loved one they had lost. As a writer, I was just turning up very voyeuristically and recording these things. I was disturbed by my own thoughtlessness.

Crime & Trauma Scene Bio-Recovery – Growing Pains in a Niche Industry

by Kent BergLike many people in the restoration industry considering expanding into crime and trauma scene bio-recovery, you may want to know about the trends in the marketplace and who your potential competitors are. However, before I tell you where the industry is and where it is going, let’s look at from where it came… In the mid-to-late 1990s, the crime and trauma bio-recovery industry was in its infancy. There were only a handful of companies providing service as full-time dedicated businesses. As these companies began to market themselves and the media began running articles and interviews, budding entrepreneurs took notice, and a small but steady stream of novices entered the industry. The insurance industry also began to recognize the capabilities of trained and certified companies. There were fewer complaints and callbacks from their insureds, and the frequency of “rip and tear” remediation dropped in favor of proper decontamination and disinfection practices.Today, roughly 12 years into the life of this business, we are seeing families, businesses and industrial customers getting their scenes cleaned up without having to ask untrained and psychologically unprepared employees or family members to undertake these gruesome tasks. But with this influx of new companies has come problems. Since1996 the industry has watched as an incredible influx of new companies try their hand at this unique and macabre business. What was once an open market is rapidly changing. While many areas of the country are still in need of crime scene cleanup companies, many areas are saturated. States like Florida, California, Ohio and New Jersey, and cities like Phoenix, Atlanta, Seattle and Philadelphia are literally teeming with bio-recovery service providers. As more companies enter these markets, there results a dilution of the supply/demand ratio, and thus the newcomers are either going out of business shortly after start-up or they diminish the incomes of the established companies there before them, in turn forcing them to diversify or die. Why is this happening? As a niche market, there are a limited number of scenes that need to be cleaned. Unlike other industries that entice new potential clients to try their services, the bio-recovery industry has to wait for something horrible to happen and either make themselves available or hope for a referral from public safety officials. When there are more bio-recovery companies than horrible events, company owners have to look for other ways to supplement their income. Many companies have entered the fire/water/smoke remediation market, while others have expanded into the mold/lead/asbestos fields. Just as remediation companies have expanded into the crime scene markets, we are seeing many in the crime scene markets enter the traditional abatement/remediation fields in order to survive.So what is the big attraction of crime scene bio-recovery? The lure of big money, no formal education and low start-up costs has attracted a broad variety of players. Like most industries, the quality of service varies widely. Although the American Bio-Recovery Association (www.americanbiorecovery.com) has gained significant recognition and credibility for many in the industry, there is still a disturbing number of companies who fail to comply with federal and state regulations, have received no formal training or industry certification, or have failed to embrace ethical business practices. Unlike many business owners who see crime scene cleanup as a moral calling to provide a service very similar to funeral homes, others see an opportunity to plunder the coffers of the dead and bereaved, often charging obscene fees for shoddy work. Unfortunately, the public is painfully unaware of what constitutes a good company and often believes that these services are regulated and certified by the government. The greatest problem we face with this industry is that it is unregulated in most states, counties, and municipalities. With the exception of Louisiana, New York City, Florida and California, there are no industry-specific regulations, nor am I currently aware of any government entities in that intend to propose legislation in the foreseeable future. With a lack of governmental oversight, it is often ABRA that gets phone calls from the public, insurance adjusters, lawyers, and state attorneys wishing to “report” unsatisfactory experiences with poor service providers. Some of the more unnerving complaints include such tales as: “When our family walked across the ‘professionally decontaminated’ vinyl tiled kitchen floor, blood spurted up between the tiles splattering our shoes” or “After the crew left, we went to remove a pot of chili from the stove and found a three-inch skull fragment floating on top.” There are also stories of scare tactics like, “They told us that due to the biological hazards of airborne contaminants, all of the home contents had to be disposed of including the china, silverware, appliances, everything, and then weeks later we found most of our belongings being sold at a flea market.” Training has also been a hot issue in the industry. Like the companies who make up the industry, the training offered varies widely. Although ABRA-approved training centers provide highly competent, in-depth training programs with ABRA certification, and a few independent for-profit entities reportedly have a good curriculum, many more companies have popped up offering less-than-stellar training. Many service providers say they are “certified” on their Web sites, but don’t say by whom. Many say they are “OSHA Certified,” but that is simply not true: OSHA does not certify companies to do this type of work, they only provide training in safety regulation compliance. On the bright side, the industry as a whole has established itself as a legitimate and needed service. More and more businesses, industries, public safety agencies and social assistance organizations are recognizing what scientists and psychologists have been saying for years, that qualified cleanup companies relieve families and the public from being exposed to disease hazards as well as the psychological trauma associated with these horrific scenes. In fact, government agencies are beginning to initiate contingency contracts in case something should happen on city, county, or federal property, and many are begin to recognize ABRA. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recognizes ABRA’s position in the industry and has sought its assistance regarding the distribution of OSHA compliance materials to the industry.So where do we truly stand as an industry? I like to think we are in our adolescent stage, the rebellious, finding-our-own-way stage. As we mature we will see more professionalism, especially as a more savvy public begin to be more discriminating in seeking out a qualified service provider for their scene cleanup. Even as the economy continues its downturn, we know this is an industry that will not go away, and in all probability a recession will, sadly, generate more cleanups. On the other hand, as the U.S. job market becomes weaker and more people lose their jobs to downsizing, they will look for opportunities that appear lucrative, easy to get into, and don’t require a college education. Many will think that crime and trauma scene bio-recovery is the answer. Where they are geographically, ethically, and educationally will determine if they are right.

Ten Big Concerns in the Bio-Recovery Industry

by Kent Berg

If you are in, or are contemplating entering, the bio-recovery industry, it’s important to remember this goal: the complete clean up of blood, tissue and other potentially infectious materials. Problem is, many people think that’s the only goal, and so all that is needed is a strong stomach and a mop. In fact, there are companies out there cleaning up scenes with that approach in mind. What we as technicians have to remember, however, is that in order to accomplish our task, there are a number of concerns we must address in order to do the job safely, effectively, and in compliance with the law. Ignoring any of these 10 concerns can cause employees to get sick (potentially with a lifetime of medical bills you will have to pay); lead to lawsuits from employees as well as customers; result in a bad reputation for poor performance; raise the ire of law enforcement agencies, and even lead to government fines.
Pathogenic Microbes These harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi can be present in spilled blood and body fluids as well as in the air. Splashes of blood or body fluids and inhalation of aerosolized blood or fungal spores from the gastrointestinal tract can cause illness. Some viruses, like Hepatitis, can even cause death. Most people are under the impression that these pathogens die when blood dries, but this is not the case. In fact, scientists have found live Hepatitis virus in blood that has been dried for over a month, and they believe it can actually live substantially longer. Protection against these invisible germs is paramount, and requires suits, gloves, face shields and respirators, regardless of how old the blood is. Not just any glove or suit will do, either. To assure that maximum protection is attained, seek out PPE that is specifically rated by the manufacturer or a testing organization like ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) for the job you are performing.

Psychological Trauma Just because someone has gutted a deer, worked in a nursing home or cleaned up after a nosebleed doesn’t mean they are psychologically prepared to clean a trauma scene. These scenes can be horrific: pieces of scalp hanging from the ceiling fan; brain matter splattered on the oil painting of the smiling family; bloody handprints sliding down the wall of a stabbing victim’s apartment; the crying and wailing of the family in the next room as you wipe away the remnants of their loved-one’s last moments. Turnover in this business is usually because of nightmares, inability to sleep, and depression. Staying mentally healthy is an important part of protecting yourself on the job.

Disinfectant Efficacy
Although there are more than 100 antimicrobial products that claim to kill germs, it is imperative to select the right one for the target pathogens you may encounter. Among the those rated to do the job, their true efficacy varies considerably and is subject to surface conditions, temperature, organic load, and even the material the contaminant is on. Disinfectant efficacy is also heavily influenced by the presence of biofilm. Biofilm is produced when bacteria colonize and collectively produce a coating that envelops the entire colony. This coating provides a protective layer under which the bacteria can thrive unaffected by many disinfectants.

Overlooked Contamination You just spent 50 hours cleaning up a bedroom where a father took his own life with a 12-guage shotgun. There was blood, tissue, brain matter and skull fragments covering nearly every square foot of the room and its contents. You were extremely cordial and sympathetic to the family. You used the right equipment and disinfectants. The room now looks great and the family is pleased. But if you have overlooked just one drop of blood, one piece of tissue or small skull fragment (perhaps a tooth behind the dresser), prepare to get a very angry phone call. You may as well not have done anything at all because, although you worked until you nearly dropped, that one overlooked piece of carnage has re-traumatized the family, and they are thinking of calling a lawyer.

Interaction With the Distressed Family Like funeral directors, we often have to interact with the immediate family of the deceased just a few hours after the event. These husbands, wives, parents and children are grieving and trying to cope with the emotional upheaval of an unexpected traumatic loss. Knowing what to say as well as what not to say is critical in establishing a rapport and conveying your sympathy, yet still obtaining the information necessary to do your job. Saying the wrong thing can at the very least get you off on the wrong foot, and possibly get you kicked off the property. Sensitivity and a caring attitude are essential in this business.

Recognizing Evidence
From time to time, technicians will discover evidence at a crime scene. Since we spend a great deal of time scouring the scene from top to bottom, moving furniture, opening drawers and so on, we come across things that may be important to investigators. The key is recognizing what might be related to the case. Obviously, guns, bloody knives and bullets should be reported, but it is with the more subtle things that you have to ask yourself, “Could this be important?” A roll of duct tape on the scene of a stabbing may have no significance, but what if you found one at the scene of an abduction? Knowing what the crime was can help you “tune-in” on items that may be crucial to an investigation.

Unreleased Scenes You get a phone call from an apartment complex manager who wants you to clean up a shooting scene in apartment 2-C. You rush over and the manager signs your contract. Hours later you pack up your truck, confident that you have cleaned and disinfected every square inch of the apartment. The next day you get a call from an irate police investigator who says the scene had not been released yet, and you have destroyed his crime scene. He is threatening to charge you with obstruction of justice! Make absolutely sure that crime scenes have been reported, investigated and released before doing the job.

Legal Issues As employers, we must adhere to the many OSHA regulations that apply to our trade. The most obvious is 29CFR1910.1030 the Bloodborne Pathogen Regulation, but there are many, many more, including the Respiratory Protection Regulations; Lockout-Tagout; Confined Space; Ladders; General Safety; and Personal Protective Equipment. These regulations were designed to protect our employees and violations can result in stiff penalties, lawsuits and damage to our credibility. In addition, we must employ contracts that provide protection to the property owner as well as the company and technicians. We must know who can sign our contracts, and we must have the appropriate insurance to protect us if anything goes wrong.

Migration of Liquids
Blood travels like water, but many people, including some technicians, tend to clean up only what they see (“If the red is gone, I’ve done my job.”). Unfortunately, blood runs under vinyl tile, under baseboards, down the seams of hardwood flooring, through OSB, and wicks up into drywall and down into concrete. Wiping blood off a surface is only the beginning of the remediation process. Most jobs are more complicated than they initially seem because most of the contamination is hidden. Just a few ounces of blood can penetrate a carpet, go through the pad onto the underlayment, find a seam and seep down the seam into the plywood subfloor. More than a few ounces can travel from an attic to a basement if the conditions are right. Knowing what to look for is the key to combating liquid migration.

Decomposition and Odors
Understanding the nature of human body decomposition and the liquids and odors produced is key to our business. Putricine and cadaverine are composed of a variety of chemicals, fats, bacteria and minerals that pose challenges for the bio-recovery technician. Understanding what chemicals to use, what home contents can be saved, and what the true hazards of the contamination are goes a long way in restoring the property quickly and economically.
As with any industry, there are always critical concerns that must be addressed in order to provide the best service possible. For the bio-recovery technician, failing to address any of these concerns can result in a very poor outcome, both for the family and your business. Proper training is of paramount importance, and certification from a nationally recognized organization will help assure that every scene is handled properly.

Kent Berg is the Director of the National Institute of Decontamination Specialists, an international crime and trauma scene cleanup training center certified by the American BioRecovery Association (ABRA). He is also a consultant and expert witness in the field of crime and trauma scene biorecovery. Kent can be reached at (864) 855-3400 or at www.NIDStraining.com