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Firm cleanses scenes after violence, trauma
Thursday, June 1, 2006
BY JONATHAN MUÑOZ
Special to The Register
Copyright © 2006 The New Haven Register
SOUTHINGTON — James Cheyne wishes there was no need for his services and that he would go out of business.
That may sound absurd, but Cheyne is the owner of TraumAway Bio Recovery Services, which provides professional cleaning services at the scene of violent deaths or accidents. The year-old company specializes in cleaning and disinfecting sites where a homicide, suicide or industrial accident takes place, or where a decomposed body is found.
The goal, Cheyne said, is to help clients avoid reliving a violent event or the death of a relative or friend.
TraumAway’s services are available 24 hours a day and include the elimination of all traces of blood, fluids, biohazard materials or offensive odors.
Cheyne does the cleaning jobs himself along with his wife and contract employees, and he said he specializes in handling sensitive situations that may affect the emotional state of the victim’s relatives.
"Sometimes people want to cry on your shoulder, they want to tell you the story," said Cheyne, whose mother worked for a coroner’s office in Pennsylvania when he was younger.
"I’ve seen photos, body parts and autopsies, things that the common person does not see daily," he said. Also, Cheyne previously worked with several companies that remove biohazard materials.
The idea for starting his own business came to him when he was studying to be a paramedic and a nurse, he said. "During the rounds and visits that I had done I began to realize that there was a real need to have someone clean up after (violent events)," he said.
Despite his emotional strength, some cases have left a mark on him, Cheyne said. He remembers a case in Pennsylvania where a man killed his wife and then committed suicide. The saddest part about that case is that it was their children who found the blood-covered bodies, he said.
Federal laws and OSHA regulations establish that only a family member may clean or authorize the cleaning of a crime scene, and the disposal of biological material.
Cheyne said insurance policies usually pay for such cleanup work.
Cheyne said it’s a myth that bleach kills all bacteria. There are certain types of viruses and diseases that need special disinfectants and sterilizations, he said.
"We are here for people that are going through a very bad time in their lives, and we want to be there to help," he said.
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Absolute TraumAway LLC
PO Box 90 | Southington, Connecticut 06489-0090 | Tel. (860) 628-0706
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