As an instructor in crime and trauma-scene recovery and a board member of the American Bio-Recovery Association, I am often approached by attorneys, the public and insurance adjusters to evaluate the service they or their clients received from other crime-scene cleanup companies.

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.

Years ago, few cleaning or restoration personnel thought much about getting blood on themselves. Aside from the repulsive nature of blood, the very thought of it being the carrier of deadly and debilitating diseases was far from our minds.