Tear Gas Cleanup Procedures

What is Tear Gas?

Tear Gas is a chemical weapon that causes severe eye and respiratory pain, skin irritation, bleeding, and even blindness. Tear gas is commonly used for riot control but it is also used by local law enforcement agencies and swat teams to subdue violent offenders. It’s often used indoors, filling a room with aerosolized solid compounds which irritates mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs and ultimately encourages the suspect to come out from where he had barricaded himself.

Tear “gas” isn’t actually a gas. It’s made up of heavy solid compounds which eventually settle on anything it comes into contact with. For this reason, the cleanup of tear gas can be quite daunting. If done correctly, a structure affected by tear gas can be fully remediated without having to do any major renovations. There are several steps that we’ve established over the years for cleaning up crime scenes where tear gas has been used. It’s tedious and time consuming, but if these steps are followed, a home can be cleaned efficiently and returned to a safe environment.

Tear Gas Cleanup Procedures

Step 1. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Any technician that will be assisting in the tear gas remediation will need to equip himself with all the necessary PPE to protect himself from exposure to harmful chemicals. This PPE should include a full body suit, gloves, full face respirators and respirator replacement cartridges.

Step 2. Remove ALL of the contents from the crime scene (preferably outside to avoid any cross contamination of tear gas to any other room). Any non-porous items can be thoroughly cleaned and saved. Cloth or fabric materials such as carpet, mattresses and other furniture should be properly disposed of as it is impossible to ensure that all traces of tear gas have been removed.

Step 3. Starting at the furthest room affected, begin the cleanup process by using an HVAC over every square inch of the room from the ceiling, down. A technician follows behind wiping walls, ceiling and floors. Rinse and repeat. Note: Be sure that any air conditioners and fans are off.

Step 4. After the furthest room has been thoroughly cleaned, seal off the doorway with plastic sheeting and begin cleaning the next room. Repeat step 2 until there are no traces of tear gas residue. Seal off the next doorway and continue to work your way out.

Step 5. Have a professional air duct cleaning service come in and vacuum out the tear gas particles out of the entire air system.

Step 6. Apply an oil based sealant to the interior of the structure before painting. Everything that was salvageable can now be put back into the home.

Expert Tear Gas Cleanup Service

The owner of Hazmat Cleanup, LLC has been in the crime scene cleanup industry for 18 years and has the process of tear gas remediation down to a science. In most cases, homeowners insurance will cover the cost of the tear gas cleaning and restoration. We will deal directly with insurance companies to spare you the burden and hassle. For more information, call for a free assessment of the crime scene. Hazmat Cleanup will promptly send a crime scene technician to the property at no charge and provide you with a written estimate for tear gas restoration so that there are no surprises for you or the insurance company.

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