The Cremation Society of Great Britain

The Federation of British Cremation Authorites
 
Code of Cremation Practice
(Displayed on the Cremation Society's website by kind permission of the FBCA)

THE FEDERATION OF BRITISH CREMATION AUTHORITIES 41 Salisbury Road, Carshalton, Surrey SM5 3HA Telephone/Fax: 020 8669 4521 Email: fbcasec@tiscali.co.uk www.fbca.org.uk Secretary: Duncan McCallum, FICCM(Dip)	26th May 2005

TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE FEDERATION

Dear Sir/Madam

CODE OF CREMATION PRACTICE

The Executive Committee of the Federation of British Cremation Authorities at its meeting on 18^th May 2005 agreed changes to the Code of Cremation Practice to take account of impacts on the environment. The present Code of Practice was amended in October 1999 to allow Cremation Authorities, in certain circumstances, to hold over cremations until the following day and also the inclusion of a section dealing specifically with coffin covers.

The reason for the timing of the present changes is the recent publication of the Secretary of State’s Process Guidance Note PG 5/2 (04) which encourages operators of crematoria to consider the impact on the environment, not only from emissions to the atmosphere but also the depletion of natural resources such as North Sea Gas requiring the importation of larger amounts of gas from abroad. The Executive Committee sees this as an opportunity for the Federation, as a responsible organisation, to recognise and lead the industry’s thinking on environmental and cultural issues and not just respond to outside pressure for change.

The current changes to the Code of Practice will offer a more enabling document allowing cremation authorities to adopt an environmentally friendly approach to the operation of their crematoria and also the ability to demonstrate levels of conservation and efficiency reflected in public, environmental and government attitudes, should they wish to do so. The changes affect the following Sections of the Code:

Section 3 AFTER COMMITTAL
Removes the requirements both to complete cremation within 24 hours of receipt of the coffin at the crematorium and to reduce the cremated remains following their removal from the cremator.

Section 7 METAL RESIDUES
Will now allow Cremation Authorities to recycle metals recovered following cremation if they so wish.

Section 8 CREMATED REMAINS
Deleting the requirement to reduce cremated remains following removal from the cremator enables Cremation Authorities to take account of cultural requirements where families may wish to receive the remains exactly as they have been removed from the cremator.

The attached Code of Practice shows the current changes that were discussed and agreed by the Executive Committee. The previous version, contained in "A Guide to Cremation and Crematoria" issued to all member authorities, is set out on loose leaf pages 5 and 6 and should now be discarded and replaced with this new copy.

Yours faithfully

DUNCAN McCALLUM
Secretary

THE FEDERATION OF BRITISH CREMATION AUTHORITIES
  
CODE OF CREMATION PRACTICE

1. CONDUCT
The cremation of a human body is a highly emotional occasion for those taking part in the service. This must never be forgotten by the staff of the Crematorium, who must combine to create and maintain an atmosphere of reverence and respect throughout the entire proceedings.

2. STAFF
The greatest care must be taken in the appointment of members of the Crematorium staff, any one of whom may, by conduct or demeanour, detract from the atmosphere of reverence which it is endeavored to create. All staff employed in the operation of cremators must be suitably trained in the technical and ethical procedures and certified as specified in the Secretary of State’s Guidance Notes of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or any subsequent legislation made thereunder.

3. AFTER COMMITTAL
(a) A body shall not be removed from the Crematorium after the Service of Committal except for a lawful purpose.
(b) Subject to receiving the necessary Authority to Cremate, the coffin and its contents shall be put into the cremator, as soon as practicable, exactly as they have been received on the catafalque. A body not cremated on the same day as the coffin is received at the Crematorium may only be retained on the written consent of the Applicant for cremation and in circumstances deemed necessary by the Cremation Authority, including impacts on the environment. All bodies retained at the crematorium will be accommodated in secure and sanitary conditions within the building.
(c) Once a coffin with its contents has been placed in the cremator, it shall not be touched or interfered with until the process of cremation is completed. On completion the whole of the Cremated Remains shall be collected and shall be disposed of in accordance with the instruction received.

4. CORRECT IDENTITY
((a) No coffin shall be accepted at any Crematorium unless it bears adequate particulars of the identity of the deceased person contained therein. If a coffin is encased, the cover and the coffin must bear adequate identity of the deceased person.
(b) Every care must be taken to ensure correct identification throughout the whole proceedings from the moment the coffin is received onto the catafalque until the final disposal of the Cremated Remains.

5. SEPARATELY CREMATED
Each coffin given to the care of the Cremation Authority shall be cremated separately.

6.COFFIN COVERS
When a re-useable cover is used to encase a coffin, signed authority must be given by the Applicant for the cremation authorising its use and consenting to its subsequent removal from the Crematorium.

7. METAL RESIDUES
Any metal found amongst the Cremated Remains shall be disposed of in accordance with the directions of the Cremation Authority or Higher Authority.

8. CREMATED REMAINS
The utmost care shall be taken to ensure that the Cremated Remains, following their removal from the cremator, shall be kept separate and suitably identified. The Cremated Remains shall be placed in a separate container awaiting final disposal. If the Cremated Remains are to be disposed of in a Garden of Remembrance, this shall be conducted with reverence and respect. Cremated Remains to be conveyed by a carrier service should be placed in a suitably labelled robust container and dealt with according to recommendations laid down by the Federation of British Cremation Authorities.

9. CREMATORS AND ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT
Cremators and all other ancillary equipment used in the Crematorium shall be kept in good repair and maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations, and the requirements of the current guidance Notes issued under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or subsequent legislation.

10. STATUTORY REGULATIONS
AAll cremations shall be carried out according to the provisions of the Cremations Acts and the Regulations made thereunder, and any subsequent legislation.

Issued May 2005

THE FEDERATION OF BRITISH CREMATION AUTHORITIES
  
GUIDANCE FOR THE USE OF COFFIN COVERS

The Executive Committee of the Federation accepts that the use of an outer cover to encase a coffin is within the ethical standards of the Code of Cremation Practice. The decision to accept the use of a cover is a matter for individual Cremation Authorities whose judgement may be influenced by the layout of the crematorium buildings and the ability to remove a cover from the crematorium without causing offence or concern to visitors to the crematorium.

The following detail is offered as guidance for the controlled use of coffin covers:

I. Prior notice of at least 24 hours should be given to the appropriate crematorium officer when a cover is to be used.

2. A signed authority should be given by the Applicant for the cremation authorising use of the cover and consenting to its subsequent removal from the crematorium.

3. Both the cover and the coffin must bear adequate identity of the deceased person contained therein.

4. The Cremation Authority should be satisfied, by prior inspection if necessary, that the cover is designed in such a way that removal of the coffin is easily facilitated and in a way that prevents the possibility of damage being caused to the coffin or accident or injury to staff.

5. Consideration should be given to the cover dimensions, in particular the width including handles, so as to ensure that it can pass through any apertures such as may be encountered with a lowering catafalque or any other restricted opening adjacent to a catafalque.

6. The coffin should have sufficient strength and rigidity not only to contain the body but also to withstand the rigours involved when it is charged into a cremator.

7. To enable easy removal of the coffin from its cover it is advisable to have two biers available, both with roller facility.

8. The Cremation Authority should not accept responsibility for any damage to the cover howsoever caused.

9. There is a need to ensure that there is sufficient space within the crematorium building to house the covers pending their collection by the funeral director.

10. The funeral director should provide sufficient staff for the collection of the covers which should be at a time and in a manner agreed with crematorium management.

Issued October 1999