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Step inside the world of crime scene cleaning Run by a dedicated team on the west coast of Wales and recognised by police forces around the country, the National Academy of Crime Scene Cleaners is (NACSC) is a pioneering force. Students for the course come from all over Great Britain, with some travelling from further afield in Europe to learn the definitive way to clean crime scenes. The students come from police and local councils, as well as cleaning companies who want to get onto the approved list. The NACSC course is designed to give a complete insight into the world of crime scene cleaning. And it’s seriously dirty work – the training involves cleaning mocked-up scenarios where fake-blood, skin and body fluids are splattered across rooms. Trainees will also see footage filmed at previous extreme cleans, which helps to show them the truth of the job. They will have to be introduced slowly, because the reality can be shocking. Trainees are also given advice and educated on how to cope with people traumatised by the scene they are cleaning. This can be grieving family members, or even the landlord, left to deal with the aftermath of criminal activity. The threat that crime scenes present is now recognised to be considerable, including Hepatitis B and other pathogens. The recent tightening of health and safety regulations means those overseeing crime scenes have to take this threat to health into account; they have a statutory duty to ensure the health and safety of those at the crime scene and afterwards.
“Cleaners regularly cleanse murder scenes, suicides, trauma sites, and decomposing bodies.” Increased professionalism The consequence is the increasing professionalism of crime scene cleaning, with clients now recognising that, in order to discharge their responsibilities properly, they should use cleaning operatives who have been properly trained on an accredited training scheme. The National Academy of Crime Scene Cleaners (NACSC) was launched in 2009 to meet this need – to provide rigorous training, which preserved the health and safety of cleaning operatives and others while enabling the police and other bodies to be sure that they are meeting their statutory responsibilities. The NACSC network The NACSC course graduates have the option to become part of the NACSC network of qualified crime scene cleaning operatives, having crime scene enquiries passed onto them. Academy members are able to deal with any bio hazard incident, from a
simple needle collection, house clearance, waste removal, to full trauma scene clean up. To date the academy has 450 cleaning companies in its network across the UK, enabling the NACSC to offer a two hour response time anywhere in the country. Clients always know that, by contacting the Academy Network, they will have a professionally qualified service, with operatives trained to the highest standards. Services include: clean crime scenes and trauma scene locations, including police cells and contaminated vehicles RTA and crime scene equipment; deodorise, remove contaminated flooring; control pests; house clearance; road traffic accident clean up; animal death clean up; collect hypodermic needles; cleaning and sanitising personal effects; removing hazardous waste to meet specialist waste carriers regulations (including all blood borne pathogens); sanitation services that include both minor and major outbreak control; health and safety method statements and risk assessments; dealing with the client or member of the public offering a compassionate service in their time of need; renovation services; and ATP monitoring and auditing.
Cleaners regularly cleanse murder scenes, suicides, trauma sites, and decomposing bodies. They are the first on site to incidents where suspects have trashed their police cells, as well as other smaller blood and body fluid incidents. Each job requires a different approach, and a range of cleaning tools and products. You will get to understand the process and protocols, and the science behind the method. The cleaners work in a specific way to avoid cross contamination of bodily fluids, while keeping their own safety paramount. They also have to be respectful, as often it’s the family members who are left behind to pick up the pieces. The cleaning will include – decontaminating rooms, insect infestations, and tracing and removing body fluids. The teams also then replace property, repaint rooms, and get everything habitable again for the client. New pathogens are being discovered every day! NACSC has the safe solution to the problem. www.nacsc.co.uk
The cleans Cleaning a crime scene is not easy and a long way from the work of a regular industrial cleaner – though most qualified crime scene cleaners do the day-to-day stuff too. Crime residue and other biological waste and matter, especially hypodermic needles, need correct handling. Without the right procedure the team could be at risk of Hepatitis, HIV/AIDs, and other nasty infections and diseases.
Emergency Services Times October 2014
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