Who Cleans Up After Dead Bodies?

Dead body removal is a messy, inconvenient task. But, it is also a necessary task and one that involves a very specific set of processes that professionals know how to conduct.

Right after a dead body is removed, the remnants of the corpse must be cleaned up. Cleaning up these remnants is often far more complicated than removing a dead body. 

A combination of practical expertise and task-specific equipment are necessary for an effective dead body clean up. 

By reading this guide, you will learn about the dead body removal process. After going over that process, you will learn about the dead body cleanup process. Being aware of both processes will allow you to understand the importance of these processes and how they are conducted.

 

Who Removes Dead Bodies?

Some people pass away from natural causes, within a space that is attended by others. When the dead bodies of these individuals are found, the family member, friend, or property owner will need to call that individual’s funeral home. 

As for who picks up dead bodies, within this scenario, two body removal technicians from a funeral home will go to that person’s home and remove the body.

To remove the dead body from that home, the two technicians will:

• Meet with the family of the deceased and locate the body.
• Determine the safest, easiest exit for the dead body.
• Ask the family if they would like a little more time with the deceased.
• Cover the dead body with a sheet.
• Insert a flat, sliding board right underneath the body.
• Use the sliding board to move the body onto a cot.
• Pick up the cot and take it out of the home.

The removal process for a dead body can take anywhere from one-hour to six-hours, depending on where the body is located and how easy it is to remove. Right after the body arrives at the funeral home, funeral arrangements, and other post-mortem affairs, can be dealt with.

Even though this process is common, it is not the case for everyone. Many people pass away while engaged in other circumstances. This complicates the dead body removal process.

Some of these other circumstances include:

• Unattended death.
• Suicide.
• Murder.
• Dying in a car accident.
• Dying without having chosen a funeral home.

Every single one of these circumstances will lead to either a medical examiner or coroner examining the body. When the examiner/coroner goes over the body, they will:

• Determine the identity of the deceased.
• Determine the manner of their death and their cause of death.
• Speak with the next of kin and notify them of the death.

The specifics of what follows these events depends on the manner and cause of death. For example, if the coroner learns that the death was of natural causes, the body will be transferred into storage. But, if the examiner/coroner learns that the death was a murder, the body may be kept where it is for a longer period of time, so that a police investigation can take place.

Who Cleans Up Dead Bodies?

Right after a dead body is removed, it becomes the deceased’s family, friends, or property owner’s responsibility to clean up after the body. The answer to questions such as “Who cleans up a crime scene?”, “Who cleans up after a murder?”, and “Who cleans up after a suicide?” is always the deceased individual’s family/friends, or the property owner of the space the death occurred in. 

To assist in the dead body cleanup process, first responders recommend hiring a biohazard cleanup service and working with their bioteam. Some of the most notable reasons for this recommendation are as follows:

• Dead body cleanup requires specialized equipment that the average person does not possess.
• Trauma cleaners, who are on bioteams, have experience cleaning up traumatic incidents and will remain unfazed while doing so.
• Bioteams have the experience needed to locate, and remove, hazardous materials.
• A bioteam can help you determine where structural remediation is needed and what form this remediation should take.

Even though the average property owner can clean up after a dead body, it is unwise for them to do so. Some of the most notable reasons for this are as follows:

• Dead bodies can contain dangerous pathogens.
• Removing these pathogens requires specialized materials.
• Dead bodies can contain dangerous bacteria that spreads around.
• Remnants of waste, from a dead body, can be difficult to find.
• Bloodborne pathogens can remain, and spread around, for years.

Given the risks and difficulties of cleaning up a dead body, it is always a good choice to hire a biohazard cleanup service. This is especially true given that most bio cleanup will be fully covered by homeowner’s insurance.

Why Is Proper Biohazard Cleanup So Important?

Dead bodies, and the bodily fluids those bodies hold, can contain harmful pathogens. Some of these harmful pathogens include:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• HIV/AIDS
• Tuberculosis

Every single one of these pathogens can be spread with relative ease. Being exposed to these pathogens can lead to illness and, in some cases, death.

Outside of harmful pathogens, bodies and bodily fluids can contain other, equally dangerous, contaminants or lead to the spread of foul odors.

To ensure these pathogens cannot be spread, the site where the dead body was found must be cleaned up, fully disinfected, and repaired. For these pathogens to be removed properly, a biohazard cleaning team, composed of bio cleanup specialists, should assist in the process.

The process of biohazard cleaning involves several processes. Each one of these processes requires specialized equipment and expertise.

To begin the biohazard cleaning process, bio cleanup specialists will first close off the area where the dead body was found. By doing so, they prevent cross-contamination.

Right after closing off the area, those same specialists will carefully remove blood and bodily waste, as well any other material.

To conclude the biohazard cleaning process, the bio cleanup specialists will apply a specialized disinfectant, meant for the removal of hazardous materials, to the closed off area. Doing so kills off any lingering bacteria and, when combined with a deodorizer, eliminates foul odors.

Sometimes, certain structures will need to be replaced. Dead bodies with blood leaking out of them, for example, can lead to stains that spread into the depth of floors and walls. Removing these structures is often the only way to remove this blood and the pathogens/odors they contain.

The biohazard cleaning process above is tricky. But, we at BioTCR can conduct this process for you, at no out-of-pocket cost. When we’re finished, your space will be free of all hazardous material, allowing you to use it once again.