How to Get Started in Crime Scene Clean-Up

Crime-scene tape.

If you are looking for a job change and you have a strong stomach, you may want to consider getting started in crime scene cleanup. Cleaning up a crime scene requires special chemicals and suits, but it comes with a big paycheck. This job doesn't have you interacting with other people too often, so you must not mind working in a quiet environment.

Things You'll Need

• Hazmat suit Chemical spill boots Double-filter respirators Certification courses Permits

Instructions

1. Ask a crime scene cleanup crew if you can join them for a day. This will give you a chance to see if you can handle what is involved in cleaning up a crime scene. You may think you can handle seeing the gore, but then you get there and the smell overwhelms you. This is a good test to see if you should continue any further.

2. Talk with the Occupation Safety and Health Administration to find out what courses you need to become certified in. These courses should include how to clean up hazardous materials. Cleaning up crime scenes is really only dangerous if you don't take precautions and clean correctly. These courses are for your own safety and well-being.

3. Find a company that is hiring. Don't do this until after you have taken the courses and have a good knowledge of what is involved. The company will take more notice of you if you look serious about the job. Fill out the application and wait to get hired. If you are starting your own crime scene cleanup business, you need to get jobs through the police, morgues or funeral homes.

4. Purchase your crime-scene gear. You will need a hazmat suit, chemical spill boots and a double-filter respirator. If you are working for someone else, they will provide the tools for cleanup. Otherwise, you will need to purchase them, too. There are special bags for disposing of biohazardous waste.

5. Get permits so that you can take the biohazardous wastes and dispose of them. You cannot do this without a permit.

6. Develop the ability to separate your work from your personal life. You must be able to detach yourself emotionally from all of the horrible things you see. If you can't, this work isn't for you.

Tips & Warnings

• Be prepared for the three major types of cleanups: deaths, meth labs and chemical spills. You must have the stomach for all three.

• Make sure you are able to keep information to yourself. It is not acceptable to tell anyone outside of the cleanup crew and the police what the crime scene looked like. In many cases, there is an ongoing investigation, and talking could interfere with that.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Crime-scene cleanup
• How crime-scene cleanup works