Glossary

Acute economic anomie: sporadic decreases in the ability of traditional institutions (such as religion, guilds, pre-industrial social systems, etc.) to regulate and fulfill social needs. Durkheim (Return to Suicide Cleanup)

 

Bioload -In the context of a crime scene, the term bioload relates to the micro-organic matter dispersed by traumatic action. The vast majority of environments on Earth, internal and external, carry some level of micro-organic activity. A crime scene will have a high bioload following a traumatic incident. The bioload will be significantly reduced by thorough cleaning of the scene. There are few environments on Earth without some sort of bioload. "Clean rooms" for computer research as well as other scientifically oriented environments are among the few places without a detectable bioload. (Return to Crime Scene Cleanup)

Bloodborne Pathogens - pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).(Return to Crime Scene Cleanup)

Bloody Mary - A hand-tool for cutting dense fabric, including carpet. The name arises from the tool's working end, which has a sharp cutting end on both sides of its blade.

Body Movers - Body movers are found in government and small business activities. In government, local coroner and medical examiner offices emply body movers. In business, body movers may include morticians hired by cemetaries and mortuaries. There are individually ran business and small business concerns dedicated to the movement of human bodies following death. Dead body cleanup may follow the body movers.

Contaminated - the presence or the reasonably anticipated presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials on an item or surface.

Contaminated Sharps - any contaminated object that is sharp or has the potential to be a sharp that can penetrate the skin including, but not limited to, needles, scalpels, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, and exposed ends of dental wires.

Decontamination - the use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate, or destroy bloodborne pathogens on an item or surface to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles and the surface or item is rendered safe for handling, use, or disposal.

"Decontamination" means the use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate, or destroy bloodborne pathogens on a surface or item to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles and the surface or item is rendered safe for handling, use, or disposal. Decontamination includes procedures regulated by Health and Safety Code Section 118275.

Decontamination – The process of removing pathogenic microorganisms from objects or surfaces, thereby rendering them safe for handling. fhd

Disease Classifications

Effluents - Usually used in the context of a biological discharge from a sewer system, in the context of human trauma cleaning, "effluents" is used to denote discharge from the body following death.

Embedding - The use of sealers and other chemicals to pretreat the bioload for handling, transport, and storage. Embedding is also useful for reducing the odor and objectionable elements of a death scene.

nep·o·tism Pronunciation[nep-uh-tiz-uhm] patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics: She was accused of nepotism when she made her nephew an officer of the firm.

HBV - Hepatitis B Virus.

HCV - Hepatitis C Virus.

HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Nepotism - nep·o·tism - A term applied to ruling class privilege as property, power, and wealth were handed down throughout history; Its generalized meaning includes clan, family privilege, property, and power shared among the "inner-circle." In crime scene cleanup, the term relates to government offices, such as the coroner and medical examiners' offices hoarding and dispatching cleaning opportunities to relatives and friends. This is a common practice in Orange County and Los Angeles County, California. In some areas of the US the practice is carried out as a pragmatic response because their are few if any crime scene cleaners to service families in need.

"NIOSH" means the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or designated representative.

Occupational Exposure - any reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact (i.e. piercing through the skin or mucous membrane) with blood or other potentially infectious materials (see below) that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.

OHS/SHS - IUPUI Occupational Health Services/Student Health Services

OPIM - Other Potentially Infectious Material.

Other Potentially Infectious Material (OPIM) - materials other than blood, which pose a potential health risk, including:

1) The following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids;

2) Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead);

3) All human or primate cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and cell lines (including established, continuous cell lines). HIV or HBV containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV should be considered potentially infectious;

4) Blood or body fluids of animals that have been intentionally or are suspected of having been exposed to pathogens in research, in production of biologicals, in the in vivo testing of pharmaceuticals, or other procedures.

"Parenteral Contact" means piercing mucous membranes or the skin barrier through such events as needlesticks, human bites, cuts, and abrasions.

PPE - Personal Protective Equipment. In concept, similar to, but different from the US Army's Mission Oriented Protective Posture, MOPP suite.

Regulated Waste - liquid or semi-liquid blood or other potentially infectious material; contaminated items that would release blood or other potentially infectious material in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed; items that are caked with dried blood or other potentially infectious materials and are capable of releasing these materials during handling; contaminated sharps; and pathological and microbiological wastes containing blood or other potentially infectious material.

Regulated Waste includes "medical waste" regulated by Health and Safety Code Sections 117600 through 118360. "Regulated Waste" means waste that is any of the following:

(1) Liquid or semi-liquid blood or OPIM;

(2) Contaminated items that:

(A) Contain liquid or semi-liquid blood, or are caked with dried blood or OPIM; and

(B) Are capable of releasing these materials when handled or compressed.

(3) Contaminated sharps.

(4) Pathological and microbiological wastes containing blood or OPIM.

(5) Regulated Waste includes "medical waste" regulated by Health and Safety Code Sections 117600 through 118360.

Reduction - Refers to the removal of bio-waste.

Site Reduction - Removing by cleaning and disposal of bio-waste.

Somatype (Wikipedia) - Borrowing from Sheldon, we have assigned people into three categories of body types. For our purposes, these types can be mixed to help understand the scene that we must clean. A telephone conversation that relates a bleed out followed by a significant decomposition. There is no special value in using these terms other than helping to describe a scene quickly.

A mesamorph decomposition half-on and half-off on a couch simply means that there will be more work than if an ectomorph expired under the same conditions. Not to belabor the point, but a mesamorph's decomposition half-on and half-off a sleeping bag is less daunting than an ectomorphs decomposition on a high-end mattress loaded with springs and wires.

"Source Individual" means any individual, living or dead, whose blood or OPIM may be a source of occupational exposure to the employee. Examples include, but are not limited to, hospital and clinical patients; clients in institutions for the developmentally disabled; trauma victims; clients of drug and alcohol treatment facilities; residents of hospices and nursing homes; human remains; and individuals who donate or sell blood or blood components.

Sterilize - the use of a physical or chemical procedure to destroy all microbial life.

Surficants - A general term that includes soap. Surfactants lower water's surface tension. As they soften water's surface, the water carries away soiled matter more easily. Place oil in water gives a hint of the chemicle divide between water and oil. Placing a surfacant in a bucket containing water and oil removes the divide between the two.the surface tension of water by adsorbing at the liquid-gas interface.

"Work Practice Controls" means controls that reduce the likelihood of exposure by defining the manner in which a task is performed (e.g., prohibiting recapping of needles by a two-handed technique and use of patient-handling techniques).

Crime scene cleanup grows with the need for professional cleaning. Crime scene cleanup's vocabulary emerges as practitioner coin new terms and recognize useful terms.

Acute economic anomie: sporadic decreases in the ability of traditional institutions (such as religion, guilds, pre-industrial social systems, etc.) to regulate and fulfill social needs. Durkheim (Return to Suicide Cleanup)

Bioload -In the context of a crime scene, the term bioload relates to the micro-organic matter dispersed by traumatic action. The vast majority of environments on Earth, internal and external, carry some level of micro-organic activity. A crime scene will have a high bioload following a traumatic incident. The bioload will be significantly reduced by thorough cleaning of the scene. There are few environments on Earth without some sort of bioload. "Clean rooms" for computer research as well as other scientifically oriented environments are among the few places without a detectable bioload. (Return to Crime Scene Cleanup)

Bleedout - A bleed out occurs when a patient or unsuspecting victim begins to bleed from one or more of the orifices. The nose, mouth, and anus are usually the typical places for bleed outs. At times patients have shunts placed in their stomach or chest for medical reasons. dialyses and heart related appliances is another way to think of shunts.See ideal bleed out.

Bloodborne Pathogens - pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).(Return to Crime Scene Cleanup)

Bloody Mary - A hand-tool for cutting dense fabric, including carpet. The name arises from the tool's working end, which has a sharp cutting end on both sides of its blade.

Body Movers - Body movers are found in government and small business activities. In government, local coroner and medical examiner offices emply body movers. In business, body movers may include morticians hired by cemetaries and mortuaries. There are individually ran business and small business concerns dedicated to the movement of human bodies following death. Dead body cleanup may follow the body movers.

Contaminated - the presence or the reasonably anticipated presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials on an item or surface.

Contaminated Sharps - any contaminated object that is sharp or has the potential to be a sharp that can penetrate the skin including, but not limited to, needles, scalpels, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, and exposed ends of dental wires.

Decontamination - the use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate, or destroy bloodborne pathogens on an item or surface to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles and the surface or item is rendered safe for handling, use, or disposal.

Decontamination – The process of removing pathogenic microorganisms from objects or surfaces, thereby rendering them safe for handling. fhd

Effluents - Usually used in the context of a biological discharge from a sewer system, in the context of human trauma cleaning, "effluents" is used to denote discharge from the body following death.

Embedding - The use of sealers and other chemicals to pretreat the bioload for handling, transport, and storage. Embedding is also useful for reducing the odor and objectionable elements of a death scene.

nep·o·tism Pronunciation[nep-uh-tiz-uhm] patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics: She was accused of nepotism when she made her nephew an officer of the firm.

HBV - Hepatitis B Virus.

HCV - Hepatitis C Virus.

HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Nepotism - nep·o·tism - A term applied to ruling class privilege as property, power, and wealth were handed down throughout history; Its generalized meaning includes clan, family privilege, property, and power shared among the "inner-circle." In crime scene cleanup, the term relates to government offices, such as the coroner and medical examiners' offices hoarding and dispatching cleaning opportunities to relatives and friends. This is a common practice in Orange County and Los Angeles County, California. In some areas of the US the practice is carried out as a pragmatic response because their are few if any crime scene cleaners to service families in need.

Occupational Exposure - any reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact (i.e. piercing through the skin or mucous membrane) with blood or other potentially infectious materials (see below) that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.

OHS/SHS - IUPUI Occupational Health Services/Student Health Services

OPIM - Other Potentially Infectious Material.

Other Potentially Infectious Material (OPIM) - materials other than blood, which pose a potential health risk, including:

1) The following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids;

2) Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead);

3) All human or primate cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and cell lines (including established, continuous cell lines). HIV or HBV containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV should be considered potentially infectious;

4) Blood or body fluids of animals that have been intentionally or are suspected of having been exposed to pathogens in research, in production of biologicals, in the in vivo testing of pharmaceuticals, or other procedures.

PPE - Personal Protective Equipment. In concept, similar to, but different from the US Army's Mission Oriented Protective Posture, MOPP suite.

Regulated Waste - liquid or semi-liquid blood or other potentially infectious material; contaminated items that would release blood or other potentially infectious material in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed; items that are caked with dried blood or other potentially infectious materials and are capable of releasing these materials during handling; contaminated sharps; and pathological and microbiological wastes containing blood or other potentially infectious material.

Reduction - Refers to the removal of bio-waste.

Site Reduction - Removing by cleaning and disposal of bio-waste. See mattress and furniture reduction.

Sterilize - the use of a physical or chemical procedure to destroy all microbial life. Cleaners do not actually "sterilize." A clean room is required to reach such a low microbial content that its contents and area may be said to be "sterilized." See decontamination.

Surficants - A general term that includes soap. Surfactants lower water's surface tension. As they soften water's surface, the water carries away soiled matter more easily. Place oil in water gives a hint of the chemicle divide between water and oil. Placing a surfacant in a bucket containing water and oil removes the divide between the two.the surface tension of water by adsorbing at the liquid-gas interface.

Tier - A level of blood and OPIM contamination - - Used as a point of reference to communicate degree of contamination and degree of cleaning progress.

Universal Precautions - An approach to infection control, which treats all blood and other potentially infectious materials as if known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens. This approach includes the use of barrier precautions by employees to prevent direct skin, parenteral, or mucus membrane contact with blood or other body fluids that are visibly contaminated with blood.

Ideal Bleed Out: We call the scene these pictures helped to capture and "ideal bleed out" because our bio-waste was burned yards from the scene. The responsible party's rural privileges included trash burning during the day light hours. So we took advantage of the situation. It was a first and last "ideal bleed out" for us.

Contamination: Contamination occurs when an unwanted chemical, bio-waste, or life-form pollutes an area. Typically, such an area is kept free of these pollutants. In the blood cleanup business, any blood or OPIM (Other Potentially Infectious Materials) pollutes once freed from the human body. At least in the context of human trauma and death cleanup, any contamination of the scene is unacceptable and must be reduced to zero contamination.

Bleed out to death: This scene referred to as an "ideal bleed out" marks the dying of an older man with chirrosis of the liver.
He bleed from all orifaces, beginning with the anus while seaded on the toilet. Once the bleeding began, he moaved through his
living quarters to his upstairs room. He bleed to death while on the bed. We do not know that he was aware of his condition. He decomposed
on his bed so we are fairly certain that the episode began on the toilet.

At times bleed outs when finalize on the toilet. Some of these cleanups will entail cleaning around the toilet, bathtub, and walls. The more
challanging of these "throne deaths" occurs when the deceased remains sitting
upright while decomposing. Although it is fairly rare that a cadaver remains upright on the toilet, it does happen. As a
consequence, fluids migrate from the orificeas and epidermis downward into the commode and overflow onto the floor.
See suggested commode cleanup procedures.