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Mortuary And Funeral Services
The state of VA has gathered white papers (HHS/Northern Command) and guides to be used by the Chief Medical Examiner in the event of a pandemic mass casualty situation.
- Natural Disease Death Planning Check List .doc
- Flu Mgmt Pamphlet .pdf, VA Department of Health
- Flowchart, Hospital Death .pdf
- Flowchart, Out of Hospital Death .pdf
- Funeral Final Disposition .pdf, executive summary
- Scene Ops .pdf
- Behavioral and Mental Health .pdf
Other resources
Use Safe Burial Practices 6 pages
from Haemorrhagic Fever Manual by CDC & WHO This section describes how to:
- Prepare bodies of deceased VHF patients.
- Transport the body safely to the burial site.
- Disinfect the vehicle after transporting bodies.
Preparing for the Pandemic; A guide for cemetery and crematorium managers
Ken West April 2006. Institute for Cemetary and Crematorium Management, UK
White Papers pdf from Pandemic Influenza meeting with USNORTHCOM, HHS, and Cremation Association of North America March 2006. (8 pages; key issues) DHS, DOD, Red Cross, US Senate in attendance, and “for the first time” the Private Sector was invited”, such as NFDA, ICFA the international trade association for the cemetery, funeral, cremation and memorial industry, Service Corporation International (SCI), the largest owner of funeral homes, and Batesville Casket Company.
“With the potential of a PI event on the horizon it is critical that deliberate planning and prior coordination affect a synchronized approach … Conclusion… mass fatality/mortuary operations must move to the forefront of disaster planning rather than continue as a topic no one wants to address for all levels of government”.
Management of Dead Bodies in Disaster Situations 194 pages
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
Each disaster has yielded important evidence about handling bodies, particularly when the number of dead overwhelms the capacity of a country to effectively respond to an emergency. This manual provides the technical information that will support the correct approach to handling dead bodies, taking into account the following principles:
- When death is the result of a disaster, the body does not pose a risk for infection
- Victims should never be buried in common graves
- Mass cremation of bodies should never take place when this goes against the cultural and religious norms of the population
- Every effort must be taken to identify the bodies.
- As a last resort, unidentified bodies should be placed in individual niches or trenches, which is a basic human right of the surviving family members.
Manejo de Cadáveres en Situaciones de Desastre
Infection Hazards of Human Cadavers 16 pages
Health Protection Agency United Kingdom
This paper describes and assesses the infection hazards associated with cadavers (both in old interments and the recently deceased), indicates how they may be minimised, and aims to inform those with statutory responsibilities for the disposal of the dead. Some of the topics (body bags, universal precautions, viewing, hygienic preparation, embalming, and international transport of cadavers) are discussed in greater detail in an accompanying article.
Other Discussion
- Mass Fatality Management Plans
- Burying the Dead During the Pandemic: An Alternative View