Biological hazards, more commonly referred to as biohazards, can be defined as biological substances that can potentially harm the health of living organisms, especially that of humans. Biohazards can be found in many forms, such as microbes, toxins, or viruses that pose a health hazard to humans. A substance that is detrimental to other living creatures could likewise be considered a biohazard.
Biohazards in a Workplace
There are countless biohazards in the environment that can come from a variety of sources, many of which you may not even be aware of. For instance, the decorative plant you have on your office desk may be a biohazard. For this reason, the immeasurable number of biohazards has been streamlined into broader categories.
Biohazards in a workplace depend on the location and the type of activities involved in the day-to-day operations. Following are the main types of biohazards that can be found in a workplace:
- Biological agents
These types of biohazards comprise of organisms including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa. These biohazards can arise from uncleanliness in the workplace and therefore are one of the most common types. These biohazards can also be consequential of the work specifically involving dealing with microorganisms.
- Blood, blood products, and other body fluids
This category of biohazards includes tissues, excretions, and secretions, as well as blood itself. These biohazards are especially common in hospitals and laboratories where wounded are treated, and biological samples are tested.
- Biological toxins and venoms (Bio-toxins)
These are poisonous and toxic substances that are harmful to humans and also to other living matter. These toxins and venoms can come from fungi, bacteria, reptiles, protozoa, fish, mollusks, insects, and plants.
- Environmental specimens
These include the biohazard sources present in the environment such as soil, plants, or water that are likely to contain biological agents or toxins. For people dealing with sewage and wastewater lines, this biohazard is extremely common.
Biohazards in the Workplace – Why Are They Dangerous?
Biohazards have the capacity to spread diseases and bacteria that are both, life-threatening and untreatable. Making matters even worse, to become infected, one does not need to come into direct contact with any tainted biohazardous material. If airborne microbes make their way into the air system, they can spread through an entire room or building, infecting everyone within it.
Furthermore, many of these diseases and pathogens are extremely robust and can persist in the surroundings for many days. For instance, Hepatitis C can survive in the open air for up to three weeks. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is another virus that can spread from biohazardous materials. This virus destroys the immune system of the infected person leaving their body defenseless against other diseases. To make things worse, there’s no effective treatment for this virus.
Call Professional Biohazard Clean-Up Services
The greater the inflow of humans and other biological matter in a workplace, the greater the chances are that biohazards will be lurking in that space. Therefore, it is vital to regularly get your workplace disinfected and cleaned.
STOP Restoration of Spokane brings you the most comprehensive and effective biohazard clean-up services in town. Our quality of work and experience in the industry allows us to carry out a timely and effective job, ensuring that your space is completely free from any biohazards. Talk to a STOP Restoration professional today by calling us on (509) 818-7744. To know more about our services, click here.
