Whether it’s blood, urine, faeces, vomit or other potentially infectious material, the threat of exposure is real and ongoing. The highest-risk zones are often around toilets and urinals, where splash or spills from poor aim or illness can spread fluids to unexpected areas like handles, walls and floors. In these cases, standard infection control precautions must apply, with the assumption that all fluids are potentially infectious.
Infection control starts with training and equipment
In Australia and New Zealand, commercial cleaning providers are expected to follow strict hygiene protocols, particularly when dealing with biohazardous waste in high-traffic environments. This means ensuring staff are trained in how to handle blood and other bodily fluids safely, and equipping them with the right tools for the job.
“One of the most common mistakes is failing to treat all bodily fluids as potentially infectious, leading to inconsistent PPE use or improper disinfection,” Whiteley executive chairman Greg Whiteley says. “Too often, general-purpose cleaners are used instead of hospital-grade disinfectants like Viraclean® or Surfex®, which are specifically formulated to neutralise high-risk pathogens.”
Proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, masks, gowns, face shields and shoe covers, is essential, with ready-to-use biohazard kits sometimes required. These often include red biohazard bags, absorbent powders or solidifiers for liquid spills and dedicated mops or cleaning tools that are not used elsewhere.
Training should be practical and regular, as scenario-based sessions help staff respond effectively under pressure. “We teach teams to treat incidents like blood or vomit as biohazard events,” Whiteley says. “That includes correct PPE usage and disinfection steps. A product like Surfex®, a powerful, no-rinse disinfectant, simplifies the process and reduces cross-contamination risk. But people forget that doffing PPE is just as dangerous as the clean-up itself if done incorrectly.”
Cleaning and disposal: what good practice looks like
Cleaning procedures for biohazard-affected areas follow a standard sequence: identifying the area, removing visible contamination, disinfecting surfaces with approved products and disposing of all contaminated material using sealed biohazard bags and containers.
The red bag must be tied securely and moved promptly to a designated storage location, away from public or food-handling areas. In facilities such as airports or hospitals, these are then removed by licensed waste contractors.
Ready-to-use disinfectants also help reduce risk, says Whiteley. “Products like Viraclean® simplify compliance by removing the need for dilution and ensure consistent disinfection. When paired with spill kits and ongoing product training, they make a big difference to both safety and efficiency.”
Feminine hygiene receptacles and sharps containers also require special care. If feminine products are found outside receptacles, staff must don full PPE including face shields before cleaning. Sharps incidents must be managed with extreme caution: the area should be cleaned and disinfected, and any staff member exposed to a sharps injury or bodily fluid splash should follow workplace protocol, including immediate first aid and medical reporting.
Protecting your team every day
Managing biohazardous waste begins with awareness and ends with accountability. Staff need clear thresholds for when to escalate, who to involve and how to recognise when a task falls outside routine cleaning.
“We standardise our protocols across sites with SOPs that align with state and national guidelines,” Whiteley says. “Site-specific inductions and regular refreshers combined with approved disinfectants and clear documentation ensure safe and traceable biohazard handling.”
Regular training, daily safety huddles and clear signage in staff areas all help reinforce those procedures. Ultimately, biohazard safety in restrooms comes down to three pillars: training, equipment and support. If cleaning staff are properly prepared, empowered and protected, they can carry out their work confidently and safely and prevent the spread of infection while doing it.
