Forensic Restoration is an Emerging Field

The Next Step Beyond Crime And Trauma Scene Cleaning

As a cleaning or restoration contractor your organization advertises assistance to people in dealing with crime and trauma scene situations. One day, a call comes in and as the facts of the situation unfold you start to wonder “are we really prepared to deal with this?” In a nutshell, the case involves:

Two brothers who, over the last decade, became more and more reclusive in their apartment. Rumors in the neighborhood suggested they had cash and valuables inside and several break-ins led to them blacking out and securing all entrances. Continued  break-in attempts led the brothers, who had become compulsive hoarders, to set up booby traps in order to prevent people from stealing their "valuables". One brother suffered a series of health problems and was no longer able to leave the apartment. Sadly, the one sibling who was able to go out and become the caretaker fell victim to one of their own booby traps and died in the apartment condemning his brother to a slow death through starvation. Now, the family and County health authorities are looking for a qualified organization to deal with the hoarding, decomposition odors, vermin infestation, mold, potential booby-traps, and whatever else is lurking in the apartment.

Individuals who complete the Forensic Restoration Operators course can professionally address the above scenario (which is based on a real case) because in the class they learn how to evaluate the various risks and leave with a template for addressing even the most difficult situations. Because forensic restoration is more than crime and trauma scene cleaning, and since this course is based on the first set of national forensic restoration guidelines, individuals who complete the three day class can feel confident in tackling the most complex cases.

Nor is the forensic restoration operator’s course offered in a vacuum. Individuals leave with real certifications related to compliance with OSHA's blood borne pathogen training and respirator fit testing. In addition, the course certificate is provided by BioPTO; an industry trade organization that is active in guiding the upcoming state regulations related to crime scene responders. Successful class participants will have a leg up on meeting the licensing requirements that are working their way through various state legislatures.

The true professionals who position themselves to serve specialty areas of the restoration industry such as crime and trauma projects, illicit drug labs, hoarding situations, animal infestations realize that no two such cases are the same. Having the know-how to be able to apply national guidelines to categorize specific jobs as complexity and size expand means that graduates of the forensic operator course are truly industry leaders.

Check out our training page for class schedules and more information.

Two important RIA documents for those assisting flooded areas

1. RIA Flooding Clean-Up Advisory for Restoration Professionals

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria are providing restoration contractors with the unique opportunity to assist individuals with wind damage and wide ranging flooding in multiple states and territories. Experience from previous storms should not be forgotten as lessons learned after Katrina and Sandy came at a high price and offer invaluable information for restoration professionals responding to flooding across the country.

Read here important reminders of what contractors should know relating to cleanup after the catastrophic hurricanes the last few weeks. 


2. RIA’s Hurricane Cleanup Guidelines for Volunteers

In past disasters, volunteers returning from working with the rebuilding efforts have brought more than just the feeling of a job well done with them. Too many who went to help developed health problems that included “mold cold”, infections, antibiotic resistant injuries, meningitis, multi-system reactions such as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, (CIRS) and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Restoration Industry Association (RIA), the international association of professional restoration and disaster recovery companies, applauds the volunteers and wants to see them return to their homes with a sense of accomplishment rather than health issues.

Read here how hurricane cleanup volunteers can protect themselves from the physical and emotional hazards.

Can Mold Reside in the Human Body?

Occasionally we receive questions such as whether mold can reside inside the human body. The following is a very abbreviated answer to that question.  

Generally, unless there is an actual infection, it is not the mold spores or fungal fragments inside a person's body which cause all the problems. It is now pretty well understood a fair percentage of the population (5-25% depending on which research you look at) have a genetic predisposition to becoming mold "sensitized". In those cases, mold exposures trigger changes in the immune system which lead to many of the reported symptoms with which you're so familiar: fatigue, neurological problems, digestive disorders, cancer susceptibility, etc. It is more than just allergy; it is the body's own immune system working against the person. Worse yet, even after the exposure to the mold has been stopped, the immune system does not necessarily reset itself, like it does for individuals that do not have a genetic susceptibility.

What this means is that healing for such individuals often comes in three large steps:

1. Removal from exposure -- including fungal remediation and whole house cleaning
2. Detox of the mycotoxins and other mold contaminants from the body
3. Medical treatments to reestablish a healthy immune system.

If the person has been properly diagnosed and treated, the detox usually takes from one to two months after the elimination of exposure. The rebuilding of a healthy immune system can take anywhere from six months to two years depending on the type of medical practices employed.