NFDA Cremation 4 Flashcards
Funeral home needs to ensure that the right body is being removed.
- paperwork signed at place of death when making a removal.
- Residence- NOK should make identification in writing
- Institution- representative of facility or medical examiner should make identification
- Removal crew takes the person directly to funeral home- preparation room/cooler
Removal from Place of Death
Responsible for maintaining proper identificatino of the remains delivered for cremation and throughout the entire cremation process.
- Never accept decased without label indicating name of the deceased and the name and location of the funeral establishment, placed on the exterior of the container
Crematory
- Require special authorization forms to legally establish the identity of the deceased
- Electronic means
- Photograph
- Deceased is not viewable- must rely on coroner or another official to provide means of identification
- In any case, proper legal form should be used
Unique Circumstances
- Funeral home held liable if it does not require identification and the wrong body is cremated
- Deceased is bathed, dressed in hospital gown or other suitable clothing, covered with a sheet or comforter and placed in container selected
- Funeral home should set specific limits- may want to offer private family viewing for multiple families that want to view
- Funeral homes may charge
Identification Viewings
- Crematory is not a holding facility- may not be able to show up unannounced with decedent
- No refrigeration at crematory- funeral homes must be informed. May need to hold a decedent for several hours before cremation process. (should not be more than 3 hours)
Holding the Remains
- Prior to taking custody by removing decedent from removal vehicle, crematory must make certain that all authorization paperwork is in order and the container is suitable for cremation.
- Establish identification in the presence of the representative who delivered the decedent.
- If opening of the casket/container is permitted, verify the decedent’s identity by chekcing the name on the body and comparing it with the name in the paperwork, leaving all idnetification disks or bracelets in place. If opening is not permitted, identification is checked by paperwork. Make sure decedent’s name is on the outside of the cremation container.
Due Diligence Prior to Taking Custody
- State, local, medical, and civil authorizations as required are missing or incomplete.
- Container is unacceptable for cremation.
- The weight of the decedent is in excess of hte cremator capacity.
Crematory has the Right to Refuse Custody:
- Funeral providers may not represent that a deceased person is required to be embalmed for direct cremation (or immediate burial or a closed casket funeral without viewing or visitation when refrigeration is available and when state and local law does not require embalming).
- It is a “deceptive act or practice” to represent that state or local law requires a casket for direct cremations or to represent that a casket is required for direct cremations.
Misrepresenations- Direct Cremations
- Unfair or deceptive acts or practices
- Preventive requirement
Casket for Cremation Provisions
In selling or offering to sell funeral goods or funeral services to the public, it is an unfair and deceptive act or practice for a funeral provider, or a crematory, to require that a casket be purchased for direct cremation.
Unfair and Deceptive Acts or Practices
To prevent this unfair or deceptive act or practice, funeral providers must make an alternative container available for direct cremations, if they arrange direct cremations.
Preventive Requirement
Caskets specially constructed to allow the insertion of a cardboard or fiberboard inner container to hold the body.
- Usually made of wood
- Not covered by the FTC funeral rule, do not have to appear on GPL or CPL (most funeral homes do list them)
- Disclosure- some funeral homes have families sign a disclosure stating the unit is rented
Rental Caskets (Ceremonial Caskets)
- Must be composed of readily combustible materials suitable for cremation, be able to be closed for dignified, complete encasement of the human remains, be resistant to leakage or spillage, of sufficient strength and rigidity for easy handling, and provide protection for the health and safety of crematory establishment personnel and the public.
- Metal caskets should not be accepted
- No funeral home or crematory can make or enforce rules that require human remains to be placed in a casket
- Shipping contains (air trays) acceptable for use, particularly for decedents whose weight exceeds normal standards.
- Some states do not allow lightweight pouches, heavy duty disaster pouches, fiberglass, plastic or syrofoam containers. Chlorinated plastics in the container may also not be allowed in some states.
Cremation Casket and Container Guidelines
- Noncombustible casket or any other container that is not an alternative container
- A container that is not labeled as required
A Crematory may Refuse to Accept:
- Cremation casket- generally lined
- Cremation container- not lined
Cremation Casket vs Cremation Container
- Complete first- varnish, lacquer or other coating material may be higly flammable
- Placed in cold cremator (no cremation having occurred in the prior 4 hours)
- Coat the casket with water before placement
High Polished Caskets
- Many have a varnish finish- highly flammable
- Run as first cremations of the day since they pose the same amount of risk as a high polish casket.
Plain-Finished Wood Caskets
- Sometimes used for large cases
- Usually wood based
- Plywood or corrugated base
- Not immeditely driven off or consumed
Air Trays
Uses a paper-based material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat linerboards.
- Often cloth covered
- Least problematic during cremation process
- Driven off or consumed almost immediately
- Be careful that the burn rate at the beginning of the cremation process is not occurring so rapidly that particulate emissions are released
Corrugated Cardboard/Fiberboard Containers
Manufactured from dry wood particles that have been sprayed with a binder resin, then bonded together with pressure and heat.
- May take longer to cremate
- Cremation of decedent likely finished before container is completely consumed
- Vaneers may be added
- Normal policies and safety procedures apply
Particleboard/Particlewood Containers
Odd number of thin layers of wood glued together under pressure, with the grain of one layer at right angles to the grain of the adjoining layers.
- May be plan or stained
- May be lined
- Normal practices and procedures unless plywood container has a highly polished finish
Plywood Containers
- First cremation of the day
- May result in visible emissions from the stack during the first few minutes of the cremation cycle
- Some suppliers offer “eco-frendly” green body bags that are engineered for cremation purposes.
Vinyl/Plastic Body Bags/Disaster Pouches
Recorded on all paperwork regarding the decedent.
- Personal identification disk placed with the body entrusted into the crematory’s care and must accompany the deceased throughout the time at the crematory.
- often, disk is imprinted with identification number
Personal Identification Number
- Placed in right hand corner of the chamber during the cremation
- Paperwork outside, attached to door during process
- When CR are packaged, should be secured with a lock strap on the outside of the plastic bag holding the remains.
Personal Identification Disk
- Kentucky- no less than 48 hours
- Illinois- 24 hours, unless deceased is infectious or religious requirement
Time Lapse Between Death and Cremation
- Name of decedent
- Crematory identification number
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Date of death
- Name of individual delivering decedent to crematory
- Name of employee receiving the decedent
- Date and time of cremation
- Name and address of authorizing agent
- Name of individual who accepted the cremated remains; date and time
- Name of individual who performed the cremation; date and time
- Name of individual who released the cremated remains; date and time
- Final disposition of cremated remains
Log Book
Upone recepit at the crematory of any dead human body that has been embalmed, the body is placed in teh crematory holding facility, where it is held until the cremation process commences.
Embalmed Human Remains
- No crematory can refuse these remains
- Held by the crematory in its refrigerated holding facility, if it has one, or in compliance with applicable public health laws (40 degrees F)
Unembalmed Human Remains