Crime Scene & Accident Cleanups: The Grimmest Jobs in Cleaning!

Most people are unaware that this job even exists, but crime scene cleanups are a real occupation that only a few people are willing to take on. It’s a job that’s suited to those who are capable of detaching themselves to work; something only individuals with nerves of steel can handle. Crime scene cleaners are walking a fine line between sensitivity and detachment which certainly takes a lot in order to be successful in a very distressing field.

Crime scene & accident cleanups didn’t exist in the past because families and close friends of victims who died are the ones responsible for cleaning up the mess. Soon enough, people realized that not everyone had the guts to clean up a dead body and that’s where CTS decon was born. It’s a niche in the cleaning industry where trained individuals are tasked to clean up biohazards that are a result of a violent death or chemically contaminated meth labs.

It’s one of the grimmest jobs in cleaning and certainly an unconventional one at that. Here we’ll be discussing how these stomach-ironed individuals do the dirty work and find out more about this bizarre occupation that most people wouldn’t even dare doing.

Preparation and training

Crime scene cleanups aren’t an easy job to begin with. That’s why individuals who are interested in working for CTS decon companies are required to undergo certain tests to ensure that they’re more than capable for the job. Usually, ex-military and police personnel are the ones who get hired due to their first-hand experiences of dealing with violent situations and even encountering dead bodies up close and personal.

They go through a psychological test which they have to pass first before they proceed to actual training. The training involves proper use and handling of protective gear as well as knowing how to handle biohazards and bloodborne pathogens safely. Workers also get injected with a hepatitis B vaccine and they’ll undergo a physical examination to determine if they are of good physical health for the job.

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Cleaning up a crime scene may be physically and emotionally taxing, but the rewards are what makes people stick to their jobs longer than they should, which is something we’ll discuss further up next.

It’s an industry that makes a lot of money

CTS decon is a business that can be lucrative than most people realize. Workers can earn $20-100 per hour depending on the nature and complexity of the situation and charges for crime scene clean ups start at around $250 and up. The duration of the cleanup, the amount of biohazards present in the area, and the required number of workforce add up to the cost of crime scene cleaning.

A single trauma scene cleanup can cost anywhere from $1000-5000. In rare cases where mass trauma and blood is present, it can take tens of thousands of dollars. Usually, the costs are covered under the insurance of the victim and their families. Crime scene cleaning only started popping up in the late 90’s and it’s already a booming industry. The more work done, the higher the profit which is why people who can stomach the gore are earning lots of money as well as business owners in the CTS decon field.

Growing a business in a field where most people aren’t aware of requires a different tactic when it comes to marketing. CTS decon companies often rely on discreet marketing methods like business cards, talking to funeral homes or even the standard phone-book route. Despite the high pay rates, it’s no surprise that businesses of this nature have high turnover rates.

Many workers only last for 5 to 10 years in the field of crime scene cleaning before they throw in the towel for a more normal, less stomach-churning job. Often times the psychological toll crime scene cleaners face is what makes them walk away from such an odd yet rewarding job.

How workers actually clean up crime scenes.

You’d think that crime scene cleaners specialize only on handling bloody crime scenes, but they’re also experienced at cleaning meth labs and even tear gases. Many of these workers face a variety of complex situations which is common in their profession. Crime scene cleaners wear protective gear and other equipments like ozone machines and chemical treatment tanks to clean up a site.

A death of an individual poses many dangers that are not visible to the naked eye. This is because bloodborne pathogens that are present in the area can cause infections and oozing bodily fluids can easily make people ill. The cleaning lasts anywhere from an hour up to two days depending on the amount of biohazards present in the site. Cleaners use hospital-grade disinfectant to sanitize the whole area to avoid contamination.

A body that’s decomposing for days is much harder to clean. Maggots can be found crawling all over the place, foul odours are lingering in the air, and the skin and the rest of the body’s organs are starting to liquefy. It’s a messy site to clean and it’s one of the grossest things crime scene workers face. It’s their job to ensure that the area not only looks clean, but is fully sanitized and is free of any hazardous material. They have to make sure to scrape up every bit of dried blood and sometimes even track and burn down crawling maggots because they’re carrying pathogens that can spread diseases.

Life as a crime scene cleaner isn’t easy and there are more reasons to leave the job than it is to stay. Part of what makes workers stay in this kind of industry is the fact that they’re able to console and provide emotional support to the families and loved ones of people who’ve died. Amidst all the gore and the bloody horrors, crime scene & accident cleanups are the grimmest jobs in cleaning with the potential to be a rewarding occupation if you can tolerate the constant exposure to gut-wrenching sights and smells.