No one gets through life without drawing some of their own blood. So, dealing with a little blood from a cut now and then isn't a big deal. But that "no big deal" is really if you're dealing with your own blood. If you have to clean up others' blood or if they have to clean up yours, especially if there's a lot of blood, that blood has to be treated like a biohazard. No longer can you assume that it's harmless and that some household cleaner will remove it if you get to work before any stains set; you have to take precautions and even call in a biohazard cleanup crew in some cases.

Why Blood Is Considered a Biohazard

Blood is considered a biohazard because it can contain so many contagious pathogens that can spread disease without you realizing it. There are steps you can take to protect yourself, such as wearing surgical gloves when you're around spilled blood, and if you're dealing with a tiny drop on a hard surface like a table top, those gloves may be enough protection for that small cleanup job. There is a point, though, when there's just too much to clean up, and you may have blood seeping into carpeting and other soft, absorbent materials. Instead of trying to get that out yourself, a biohazard cleanup company is the best option.

Don't Let It Come Into Contact With Your Skin

The main issue is skin contact and penetration. Blood that gets on skin that has no cuts or scrapes — in other words, no openings — doesn't pose that much of an infection threat. But if you have a microscopic cut that you didn't know about, or if that blood gets transferred to materials that someone else with a cut touches, then you've just spread infectious material. Items that you use in cleanup, such as paper towels, should be disposed of in a biohazard bin. If you don't have one (for example, if you work in a retail store and one isn't available), you'll need to call a biohazard cleanup crew if you have to clean up a lot of blood.

A biohazard cleanup crew can remove bloodied material and remove stains, disinfecting surfaces as they do their work. As strange as it might seem to consider blood an unsafe substance, it's reality, and you can't be too careful when exposed to someone else's blood.

Contact a company that offers biohazard cleanup services to learn more.