death to valentine’s day: what would it take to cleanup infamous crimes of passion?
DESCRIPTION
Not all love stories have a happy ending. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Aftermath Crime Scene Cleanup is offering their expert advice on the potential cleanup process and hidden health hazards of some of the most infamous crimes of passion. Aftermath breaks down the biohazard cleanup process of several cases of “love gone wrong,” from the double suicide of Romeo and Juliet, to notorious crime couple Bonnie and Clyde. What happens when love doesn’t end in candy and roses—and how do you clean up after infamous crimes of passion?TRANSCRIPT
Andrew Whitmarsh is the Operations Safety/Compliance Manager at Aftermath,
the only national company in the U.S. specializing in crime scene clean up and
biohazard remediation.
Having overseen the cleanup of countless trauma scenes, Andrew offers his expert
advice on the potential cleanup process and hidden health hazards of some of the most
infamous crimes of passion.
Meet the Expert
OBSESSED
“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou absorbent agent?”• Blood pooling under Juliet’s body could contain bloodborne pathogens so personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn to avoid transmission of infectious diseases.
• Use an absorbent agent on fresh fluids to remove the blood and restrict the spread of possible pathogens.
• Once the fluids have been removed, use an indication agent to test the floor and identify where biological materials have penetrated the floor of the tomb.
BONNIE & CLYDE
‘Till death do us (and our body) parts… • The infamous couple was ambushed in their stolen Ford - more than 130 rounds of steel-jacketed bullets were blasted into the car.
• Onlookers rushed the vehicle and cut pieces off the bodies as souvenirs – this increased blood splatter and the scattering of body fragments, hair and other tissues.
• Contact with bone fragments, damaged car metal and other “sharps” could potentially infect an individual with HIV, Hepatitis C or other bloodborne pathogens.
• Porous materials such as fabric seats, roof liner, carpets, etc. in the car would need to be removed in order to salvage the car.
Beyonce is still a survivor. As for the stalker…• The “other woman” met her match in Beyonce and fell to her death, landing on a glass coffee table. A chandelier follows her descent and pierces the body – potentially causing spinal and cerebral fluid and materials from the intestinal tract to leak onto the floor.
• Dispose of all porous materials, including the carpet and nearby couch, to avoid any unpleasant memories and lingering odors.
BASIC INSTINCT
Sharon Stone, with an ice pick, in the bedroom… • Splatter from the swinging motion of the ice pick could reach the ceiling and the floor. The entire bedroom needs to be treated as a control zone to stop the spread of biohazards.
• All porous items, like pillows and blankets, and affected flooring need to be removed, placed in a biohazard bag and disposed of as medical waste.
• Fluids pooling from the wound will soak into the mattress. The soaked section of the mattress must be cut away and disposed of using a biohazard container before the entire mattress can be removed.
ROMEO & JULIET
© 2013 Aftermath Services LLCwww.aftermath.com | 877-872-4339
Sources: Aftermath.com, Vecteezy.com, Andrew Whitmarsh