Why staff should not clean it up
Most employees have not been trained or equipped to handle blood. Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, employers whose workers are expected to have that exposure must provide training, protective equipment, an exposure control plan and access to the hepatitis B vaccine. Many businesses have not set up that program for front-line staff. Asking someone to grab a mop can create an exposure the business then has to manage.
It is also hard on people to clean up after a coworker or customer was hurt. Calling us keeps the cleanup with people who are equipped for it.
Typical calls from employers
- Cuts and lacerations in commercial kitchens, butcher counters and prep areas
- Falls in retail aisles, stockrooms, warehouses, stairwells and parking areas
- Nosebleeds, medical emergencies or collapses in offices and conference rooms
- Injuries in salons, gyms, clinics and studios
- Restroom incidents involving blood or other body fluids
Food areas need extra attention
When an injury happens near food, any exposed product, packaging and single-use items in the splash zone are typically discarded. Prep tables, slicers, cutting boards and other food-contact surfaces are cleaned and then disinfected with a product whose label permits that use, followed by any rinse the label requires.
We coordinate with your manager on what needs to be thrown out and leave the decision on reopening the station to you and, where applicable, your health inspector.
From call to reopening
- A short first call A person answers at any hour. We ask where the injury happened, roughly how large the affected area is, and whether it has been closed off.
- Arrival and scope On site, we confirm the boundaries of the contamination and explain what we will clean and remove.
- Cleanup Wearing protective equipment, technicians remove fluids, clean the surfaces, and apply an EPA-registered disinfectant for its full label contact time.
- Soft surfaces Carpet tiles, upholstered chairs and fabric partitions are cleaned where practical or removed when saturated.
- Disposal and notes Contaminated materials are bagged for appropriate disposal, and you receive a short written summary for your records.
In the meantime
Focus on the injured person first and call 911 if needed. Then close off the area with chairs, cones or tape, and keep customers and staff away. Avoid wiping, sweeping or vacuuming the spill, and set aside any first-aid materials or towels used during the response so we can bag them.
Keeping operations moving
Most workplace injuries affect a small part of a building. We close off only what needs to be closed, so the rest of your office, store or kitchen can keep running if that is safe and appropriate.
If the injured person used a restroom, an elevator or a break room before help arrived, or rode in a company vehicle, we include those areas in the scope. When the work is finished, we tell your manager which areas are ready for use and which items were discarded, so nothing is left to guesswork at the next shift change.
Your obligations stay with you
We clean the affected area; we do not make your business compliant with workplace safety rules. Exposure incidents, incident logs and medical follow-up remain the employer's responsibility, and any employee who had contact with blood should be evaluated by a healthcare provider. For questions about your own program, TOSHA offers consultation services. Staff who saw the injury may need a little support afterward. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).
If the injury occurred on heavy equipment or a production line, see industrial accident cleanup. Businesses that want help on a recurring basis can learn more about biohazard cleanup for offices and workplaces.
Across Middle Tennessee
We serve employers in Nashville and every county of Middle Tennessee, from downtown office towers to small-town storefronts. Work can be scheduled after closing to avoid disrupting customers.