Homeless Camp Cleanup | Abandoned Property Cleanup in Oklahoma
Homeless encampments in Oklahoma can be a dangerous and labor-intensive task to clean. The technicians at Steri-Clean Oklahoma are trained in proper methods to safely removal of solid waste and biohazardous materials.
There are estimated to be 4,732 to 4,915 people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City, according to a survey conducted by the Homeless Alliance in 2018. While in Tulsa, the homeless population increased by 7% between 2007 and 2017 according to the Tulsa World. Other publications report homeless population increases in Norman and Lawton over the past decade there are a variety of reasons that someone might become homeless. Some suffer from untreated mental illness. Some have addictions that have left them evicted with nowhere to go.
Homeless encampments are known to have a hazardous mix of needles, drug paraphernalia, human waste, and other potentially dangerous material. Without proper training and equipment, cleaning this mess poses serious health risks. Needles can be contaminated or transmit dangerous pathogens. Human and animal waste are hosts to a variety of bacteria and diseases.
Careless disposal of the waste found in homeless encampments not only comes with life threatening danger to those on the scene but it can contaminate drinking water, harm the environment, and endangers the fragile ecosystems of Oklahoma’s wildlife.
Hazardous Substances and Homeless Encampments
Fentanyl and Carfentanyl can be life threatening even when a person is only exposed to a small amount. Steri-Clean Oklahoma provides our technicians with the skills and equipment to avoid and/or treat exposure to these dangerous substances.
The best way to avoid the risks that come from Fentanyl and Carfentanyl exposure is to make sure it doesn’t happen. Employees of Steri-Clean Oklahoma are required to wear all necessary personal protection equipment including face shields, respirators, gloves and steel-toe/steel-shank boots.
In the event that a member of one of our crews is exposed to these deadly substances, Steri-Clean Oklahoma keeps an emergency supply of Naloxone, a medication which can be used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose, in all vehicles on site. This Naloxone supply includes multiple delivery methods in case the affected person is unable to breathe. We keep multiple doses of the life-saving drug because fentanyl’s effects can last much longer than a single dose of Naloxone. Every precaution must be taken to keep the affected person stable until emergency responders arrive.
Steri-Clean Oklahoma partners with a local hazardous waste disposal facility to ensure that all biohazards, drugs and paraphernalia, and regulated medical waste is destroyed properly according to the law.
To ensure that all health and environmental dangers are eliminated, Steri-Clean places a high priority in properly separating biohazardous and medical waste from the bulk of the garbage on site. Our work begins with a thorough sweep of the site, noting and marking potentially hazardous areas. The disposal facility provides us with a stock of bins appropriate for storing and transporting biohazard and regulated medical waste. As soon as the potential hazards are identified, our trained Oklahoma technicians can begin removing and sorting the waste.
On request, the disposal facility’s record of the materials destroyed can be provided. We at Steri-Clean Oklahoma take pride in our ability to deliver our service on a reasonable schedule and with a meticulous attention to detail. In other words, our clients can be certain that any homeless encampment in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, or anywhere else in Oklahoma can be eradicated and decontaminated in a timely manner and be certain that all waste has been disposed according to Oklahoma state law.
Our services do not end with hazardous material! Steri-Clean Oklahoma partners also with local Oklahoma City and Tulsa businesses to dispose of bulk garbage and recyclables.
To speak directly to an experienced technician, call (888) 577-7206 for a free consultation.
Cleaning Homeless Encampments in Oklahoma
The majority of the material involved in a homeless encampment clean-up is not considered hazardous. Steri-Clean Oklahoma arranges all services necessary to clear the area. We partner with local companies in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa to provide onsite dumpsters for disposal of all non-hazardous garbage and recyclable materials. Transportation and disposal of all unwanted materials on-site are included in the service we provide. This includes residual contaminants left after the area has been cleared.
The health and environmental dangers are not eradicated when the encampment area is free of clutter. Steri-Clean Oklahoma also uses an EPA-certified, hospital-grade disinfectant to treat areas for potentially deadly viruses and disease-causing bacteria. These areas will often see an increase of pedestrian traffic as the public begins to recognize that the encampment has been removed. We know that it is vitally important to ensure that the vicinity is safe as possible to occupy before we can consider the job to be completed.
Homeless camps are a public health hazard. Call Steri-clean Oklahoma to ensure the vicinity is safe to occupy.