Precautions When Entering a Trauma Scene

After the notification a death has occurred, law enforcement may be present, which provides relatives an opportunity to ask about the retrieval of any pets by the law enforcement professionals of other agencies. This is an important step because animals may be contaminated with blood, body fluids, or other potentially harmful pathogens as they often travel to and from the deceased owner based on their relationship with them. Extra care and attention provided by first responders can make it safer to transport the animal and house the animal until plans are made to care for them. If first responders or other agencies are helping in this way, it is often wise to ask them to wear shoe covers and to exit/enter through one access point. It is uncommon, but there have been situations where blood and body fluids or decomposition are present and first responders have walked back and forth throughout multiple entries/exits. This led to a dramatically increased cost for cleanup and damage to flooring in the homes. Retrieving valuables and other documentation may be necessary if the property is going to be vacant for several hours or days. In such circumstances it may be necessary to ask law enforcement to retrieve these items for you. If, however, a crime scene cleaning company has been contacted and may arrive at the property relatively quickly, these professionals are often used to having to secure documents and valuables for family members. This helps the family avoid contaminating the scene further and helps them to stay safe. Technicians working for Affinity Bio Solutions take photographic evidence upon arrival of the scene and any valuables present and always suggest family members wait for them to retrieve documents. Affinity Bio Solutions is more concerned about the safety of clients and the trusting relationships built between the client and company than finding paperwork to secure an insurance claim as form of payment immediately. Our process will typically involve full PPE and cleaning our way in to the areas containing blood borne pathogens to retrieve personal documents or valuables. Sometimes this retrieval is not possible right away or the items may be affected themselves and need decontamination. When this occurs, the family can feel confident that photographic evidence and the securing of such items as we encounter them means that people can trust all items will be returned to them.