Crime Scene cleanup is one of the most misunderstood kinds of Trauma Cleanups; and HALO
does our fair share of them.

What is a Trauma Cleanup?

The simplest explanation of a Trauma Cleanup is that it requires the cleaning of biohazardous
materials. There are different kinds of trauma cleanups including workplace and industrial
accidents, crime scenes, trauma scenes like suicides, medical emergencies and after-death
cleanups.

Crime Scene Cleaning

TV shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and most recently the movie Cleaner with
Samuel L. Jackson, have played a big part in exposing crime scene cleaning to the general
public. In order to classify as a Crime Scene cleanup, a crime has to have been committed. A
Crime Scene cleanup might be the result of an assault, homicide, vandalism, toxic irritants like
tear gas, etc.

Who Cleans Up Crime Scenes?

While the field of Crime Scene cleanup is not specifically regulated, most companies like HALO
have specific training and certifications to handle this kind of cleanup. It is unlikely that a
residential cleaning company would be hired for biohazard cleaning. Biohazardous materials
like human blood can carry harmful and sometimes deadly illnesses like Hepatitis and HIV,
therefore, when cleaning a crime scene with these kinds of hazards it is important to use extra
precautions. The certification and training that HALO employees receive, educate them on the
methods required to handle the extra hazards that Crime Scene cleaning presents.

Who Calls HALO?

HALO’s work on Crime Scene cleanups often starts when the police department, coroner’s
office, other officials or government releases the “scene” to the owner or other responsible
parties. When the investigation into the crime has finished on the contaminated scene, HALO
will come on site and begin our work. For HALO, most of our calls for Crime Scene cleaning
come directly through Victim Services working with the families who have been affected by the
contamination of the crime scene. Often-times, Victim Services or the insurance provider for the
property will cover the cost of the cleanup which can be expensive depending on the nature ofthe biohazards at the scene. 

HALO staff involved in the cleanup are expected to wear protective equipment to keep them
safe which can include shoe covers, coveralls, protective eyewear, a respirator, gloves, etc. and
we use specifically rated cleaning supplies to ensure the site gets disinfected and cleaned
properly.

Crime Scene Cleanup 101

In the movie Cleaner with Samuel L. Jackson, the opening scene shows him cleaning a crime-
scene. He removes blood with no trace leftover from a white, leather couch and cleans blood
residue perfectly from a hardwood floor. When he finishes his job, the camera pans around the
room and it looks pristine, as if no crime had happened there in the first place. This is not the
reality of Crime Scene cleanup.

The role of a biohazard cleanup company, like HALO, is not to make the scene pristine but to
completely clean and disinfect and remove all biohazards. We do this in order to make the
scene safe for people to re-enter and for the next group of workers, often subcontractors and
insurance companies, to do the job of restoring and/ or rebuilding.

HALO begins by assessing the scene. We do not just clean-up blood and bodily fluids but are
also responsible for cleaning reagents like luminal (which detects blood) and fingerprint powder
from all surfaces. As is the case with blood, reagents and powders are not easily cleanable;
they stain and the surfaces they are cleaned from often require repainting, restaining and
reglazing. It is common for HALO to tear out carpet and/ or flooring, remove vanities, remove
doors and other fixtures that have been affected by biohazardous materials. Sometimes we
cannot get into deep crevices or sterilize porous materials (like wood trusses) so we end up
having to seal those materials with a shellac based sealer in order to ensure the biohazardous
materials do not spread.

Commitment to Service

Some people might consider Crime Scene Cleanup a clientless clean; but this couldn’t be
farther from the truth. Even during a Crime Scene cleanup, HALO is acutely aware of the role
we play in the mental health of the families, friends and other parties involved. Although they are
rarely present at a Crime Scene Cleanup, HALO understands the importance of doing our part
to disinfect, sanitize and clean these sites so that the next group of workers can do their part.
The quicker all parties can work together, the sooner these spaces can be restored and the
sooner the family and friends can start healing.