Do you ever wonder why people get into bio-recovery? For many, it is only for the money. Sad to say, but many of those offering bio-recovery services today have little to no training. Some will find online training and, within a few hours, can take a test and get a certificate or certification. While it would be unfair to say that no online training is good, it is safe to say that online training should not be used to get started in bio-recovery work.

For those that do not know what bio-recovery work is, it mainly refers to the crime and death scene cleanup services or, as many say, blood and body fluid cleanup. Bio-recovery is a highly skilled trade. Those that have inadequate training can get themselves into serious trouble.

Risks to the bio-recovery technician include HBV, HCV and HIV, just to name a few. While HBV is regarded as the greatest risk to the bio-recovery technician, it is HCV that is gaining notoriety because there is no vaccine for it at this time. One could read a book or training manual, but how many truly understand it? Test scores would seem to indicate quite clearly that supervised training must be done. ABRA members understand that training is beneficial in many ways, and not just leverage to make more money.

ABRA strives to make every Conference beneficial to those that attend, and every year it just gets better. This year, the Conference will really be for those who want to learn and take in the reasons to educate ourselves. One of the many benefits ABRA offers is that many of our members could be speakers or trainers, as the wealth of experience and knowledge they have is of the highest level for our trade. And while the speakers have a lot to offer, it is through socializing at the event that many are able to take away and apply new procedures or chemicals, how to charge for services or how to start new services.

I would like to get you thinking of attending the Conference this year; while bio-recovery may be something you don’t think you will ever want to get into yourself, it is a time to meet professionals that you could network with, adding value to your company. Many of our members don’t offer the services you provide, so networking is a must these days. You will also see why ABRA members are a different breed. We want to work with other associations, because it will open doors and provide understanding, limiting the need to develop more and more divisions and procedures, and allow different associations to focus on what is truly important to them.

Look at our ad for the conference on page 69, or go online at www.americanbiorecovery.com. By attending the Conference, you will learn why and how people get into the bio-recovery field.