The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) has published a new standard that defines criteria and methods used by technicians for inspecting and investigating blood and other potentially infectious material contamination and for establishing work plans and procedures.
The ANSI-approved ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup (S540), 1st edition, 2017, which assumes that all scenes have been released by law enforcement or regulatory agencies, describes what procedures and precautions to consider when performing trauma and crime scene cleanup regardless of surface, item or location.
“This standard has been a labour of love for all of us who have wanted this niche industry to reach the level of professionalism enjoyed by other markets who have had standards established by the IICRC,” said S540 Standard Committee Chairman Kent Berg. “We have worked tirelessly to ensure the information conveyed is concise, easy to understand and most importantly, truly represents a consensus across our industry. Every company doing this type of remediation, or thinking about entering the field should consider obtaining a copy of the S540 Standard as a comprehensive resource for their company and their crews.”
Trauma and crime scene cleanup consists of the following components for which procedures are described in the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard:
- Principles of Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup
- Safety and Health
- Biocide and Antimicrobial Technology
- Administrative Procedures, Documentation, and Risk Management
- Inspection and Preliminary Determination
- Equipment and Tools
- Limitations, Complexities, Complications, and Conflicts
- Structural Remediation
- Vehicle and Machinery Construction
- Contents Remediation
- Containment and Disposal of Waste or Sharps
- Confirmation of Cleanliness
