Vehicle Decontamination Process

Another Stolen Vehicle Recovered

Towed recovered stolen car unloaded at shopSure, another stolen vehicle has been found and returned to it’s owners. Their initial thoughts may just be they’re just  glad to have it back. But did the thought of vehicle decontamination cross their mind?

Probably not. However, it should be a top priority.

The majority of the time a vehicle is stolen it’s for illegal activities.  Often it is related to drugs or the thief themselves is a drug user.

This can involve needles, biohazards and even drug residue from items like fentanyl. It’s affecting first responders like the police and/or paramedics at the scene. If not properly dealt with those same issues can affect the vehicle owners or anyone working on the vehicle afterwards.

This could be you, your children, even your mechanic!

That’s why vehicle decontamination after a theft or even a break in may be of importance.

What Does Vehicle Decontamination Involve?

At Mayken we do not enter a vehicle without a full PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) suit on. These include full face respirators, hoods, gloves and a protective suit to prevent any residue from being ingested or contacting our skin.

Fentanyl swabs used for vehicle decontamination testingOnce protected, the hazmat technician performs a fentanyl swab testing and a complete inspection using tongs to pick and search through the vehicle. We do a complete inspection looking for sharp objects like needles or razor blades, potential rodent infestations, drugs, drug paraphernalia and drug residue which involves testing surfaces.

Once we’ve determined what or if any contamination is present we can move onto cleaning to eliminate illicit drugs, any blood borne pathogens and/or any insect and rodent infestations or other hazards that are found.

This cleaning is the ultimate detailing package as it involves removing all contents, HEPA vacuuming the interior before and after removing the seats, spray sanitizing along with wiping and washing all surfaces and hot steam cleaning the upholstery, carpets and seats.

used needles found during vehicle decontaminationOnce this is all complete and the seats are reinstalled we do a final detail wipe down and vacuum along with washing and sanitizing all the floor mats before reinstalling them.

All in all a vehicle decontamination is not a 15 minute cleanup. It will typically involve two or more days depending on what is detected in the initial inspection and after allowing for taking the interior apart, drying times after steam cleaning and then re-assembly.

In the end though due to the thoroughness of our vehicle decontamination you can be assured it’s once again safe for you and your family.

Testing For Fentanyl

All theft recovery vehicles are tested for Fentanyl!

If test results are positive – it is immediately reported to the client (eg. insurance company, automotive body shop, dealers or owners).

Because of all the hidden areas in dash boards it is our opinion that vehicles can not be completely neutralized if fentanyl is detected.

For Our Protection From Fentanyl

Naloxone kits are easily accessible to save our life in case of emergency during a vehicle decontamination.

vehicle decontamination - seats removed

 

 

Mayken TM

Mayken Hazmat Solutions has provided Calgary and Western Canada with high-quality hazmat services since 2006. As a registered hazardous waste carrier with the Alberta government, we can handle a wide range of situations and environments. Whether cleaning up hoarding cases, contaminations, chemical spills or crime scenes, we can take care of overwhelming situations for you. Reach out to the experienced hazmat company by calling us 403-272-1995.

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