Working Funerals - Why Foot First

    This is an oddly common question, and one I had not really looked into or thought much about until others asked me.  The foot first method has a strong symbolism to it, but it also has a very practical reason.

Fetishism of The Dead Body

    In this post I explore our relationship with dead bodies and how we turn them into The Dead Body (TDB).  This was something I wanted to write as an essay and do properly back in early October.  But unfortunately I never found the time.  Instead enjoy this informal and casual post of mine, it was written for fun so with luck it should be fun to read.

Misconceptions & Questions - Part 3

    I thought it was about time I did another misconceptions and questions post.  To fix some errors and answer some questions I have received recently.    Here are 15 short misconceptions and questions I have either come across recently or regularly.

Necrophilia & Misconduct

    After I wrote this essay on nakedness of the dead body I have been asked about necrophilia.  What I look at in the essay is about how we interact/entangle with the external world with the case study of dead bodies and nakedness.  That we do not simply 'see' a naked dead body before us but bring that body into our body, into ourselves and our being.

    While the essay is not about anything sexual or anything to do with necrophilia for obvious reasons this idea has sparked a couple of questions about necrophilia and misconduct in the funeral industry.  This is a touchy topic, very taboo and very personal.  So it is something I want to talk about in depth or detail in the future.  But until I have time a short post on how much it occurs will have to do.

The Naked Dead: How we engage with the dead through their nakedness

    I have written a short essay on how we engage and entangle with the world around us.  Specifically I look at nakedness and the dead body.  Through this I explore the idea that we connect with the dead body before us and bring it into our being.  We feel its nakedness and exposure, so we cover it up.


    This is the first 'formal' essay I have written on the funeral industry and for this blog.  It was rather interesting and fun to write, so I hope it's fun to read.  The essay itself is not too long but I have provided a short summary anyway.  

Slow Rise of Obesity - Part two: the preparation

  It is no debate, we are getting larger and fatter.  Yet what does this actually mean?  As in how are our attitudes and views changing and how is it affecting our lives?  To answer this I look to funeral and the funeral industry.  The funeral industry is a wonderful way to look at society.  To look at us, our attitudes, beliefs, how we go about our daily lives and so on.  This is because quite simply the way we live is the way we die, the two are directly connected.

This is why I decided to do a few detailed posts on obesity in the funeral industry as I experienced it and understand it.  Through looking at how obesity affects the funeral industry we can understand how it affects our lives.  My first post was on the transfer of obese bodies.  This post is on how we deal with and process the obese body.  What happens in the mortuary to the body and the coffin of obese bodies.

Slow Rise of Obesity - Part one: The transfer

    The funeral industry is a great indicator of society and our daily lives.  Through looking at funerals and death we can examine how we live, how we think, our beliefs, attitudes and more.  Our death and funerals do not simply reflect our lives or society.  Instead the we die is entangled with how we live; how we die is inseparable from how we live just as how we live is inseparable from how we die.

    I intend to explore this idea through first examining obesity in the funeral industry.  By doing this I intend to illustrate how we can look at things like obesity and funerals to look at changes in society and our lifestyles.

    Yet to truly understand this one must understand obesity and funerals.  How an obese body is different from a non-obese body and how an 'obese funeral' is done.  Thus I thought I would write three posts exploring obesity in the funeral industry.  Starting with the transfer, then handling of the body in the mortuary and finishing with the cremation and burial of an obese body.  So here is the first part, the transfer of an obese body.

The Transfer Stretcher

    Lately I have been updating my transfer posts and pages such as this one.  Fixing the formatting, correcting mistakes, adding more information and so on.  In doing so I have realised that there is no post and little information about the transfer stretcher.  This is something that needs fixing as the stretcher is such an important part of the industry.

Identity tags

Various coloured wrist tags.

    There is a common belief that in the funeral industry they use toe tags to identify the dead.  We see it all the time on TV and it is part of common language.  Yet this is not the case and would be rather impractical.  Here I explain how we actually identify a body and why this is the method we use and why we must use it.

Between Death & the Funeral: The last trip

    I recently got a question about how bodies are processed in Sydney.  As in what happens to the dead between death and the funeral.  It is a rather interesting question many of us never think of.

    So far I have found nobody has an issue with knowing the details (so long as they are not too graphic) about what happens.  In fact most people are rather interested in it.  However many think of this as a 'taboo' subject.  Well, actually that is not quite true, people think others think death is taboo.  They themselves do not see it as taboo or something to avoid but think most other people do.  As such they avoid this topic to avoid offending or upsetting people.

    We do not avoid this topic because it is taboo.  We avoid it to avoid upsetting others.  And we also know so little about it.  How does your water make it into your tap?  Something most cannot answer, not because it is taboo or upsetting but because they simply do not know.

Working Funerals - Decomp

    Decomp is short for 'decomposed'.  It basically refers to what you think, a body that has gone 'off'.  This is a briefe post the aspects of a decomp body and how to deal with them.

<> This post might be a bit much for some people, but I have avoided the details or anything graphic, and there are no pictures.  There is nothing too bad in this post, but it does deal with a subject some find touchy or disgusting <>

    There are many different stages to a 'decomp' body.  But it basically comes down to the same thing.  A body that has or is becoming 'ripe'.

How to spot a decomp:

    The main ways to spot a decomp body (which is not hard):

    Smell - decomp bodies will almost always have a certain "off" smell to them.  This smell can be quite faint or it can be extremely strong.  It is usually strongest on bodies that spent time (a few days or more) outside of a fridge.  With bodies that decompose inside the fridge they tend not to smell too much.  I would describe the smell as like rotted meat.  Quite honestly it is a rather unlearnt smell with the power to penetrate through the body bag, fridge and into the mortuary.  There is little point in me describing the smell as it escapes words, but it is instantly recognisable.

    Colour - this is perhaps the easiest way to identify a decomp body.  They will be going green or have turned green "like the Hulk" as one guy said.  The 'greenness' starts in the stomach, this is where the body begins to decompose.

    Texture - a decomp body will also become bloated, damp and 'loose'.  The texture of the body is slippery and to be frank not very pleasant.  The limbs will be loose as there is no rigor mortis at this point.  The worst part is that the skin will feel damp and lose on the body.

    Bugs & Fungus - the bugs on a body are usually maggots and other similar looking small white things.  These bugs normally only start on bodies that have decomposed outside of a fridge.  However when bodies sit in a fridge for a long time they get a strange fungus, either bright orange or pure white.  But they do not get bugs.

    Weight - decomp bodies generally weight noticeably more or less than other bodies.  This is because they can bloat up and weigh more, especially if they decompose out of a fridge.  On the other hand decomp bodies can weigh less than other bodies.  They become smaller, there is less to them, this is especially the case with bodies which sit inside a fridge for too long.

How to deal with a decomp:

    Take a deep breath - this might sound odd and go against all desires but it is by far the best thing to do.  The smell is the worst thing about a decomp body, so getting rid of it makes everything else so much better and easier.  The fastest way to get rid of it is to adapt to it, this is done by breathing in the smell.  One or two deep and long breaths later the smell is nowhere near as strong.  After a few more minutes the smell might be completely unnoticeable.  Trying to keep the smell "out" of your nose will only make it last longer.

    Poly bag - the main and best thing to do with decomp bodies is "poly bag them".  'Poly bag' is simply putting the body in a special bag then sealing the end with an iron.  The bais made of a clear and mostly stiff plastic which is air and leak proof.  This is the best thing to do with a decomp body, especially if there are bugs or fluids as it will keep in the bugs and fluids.  However, while the poly bag does help reduce the smell it cannot completely contain or remove it in bad cases.

    Open slowly - when opening a body bag which contains a decomp body always do so slowly and carefully.  Quite often fluids will pool at the bottom of the bag and condensation will collect on the sides.  So open and close the bag slowly to prevent splashing any fluids about.

    Odour neutraliser - there are several products out there to reduce the smell of a body.  One of the best according to the embalmer is a product called something like VM3.  It is an all natural product which significantly reduces or completely removes smells.  Further more it has no real odour of its own.  Another great option is baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate).  Mix it with some water and it will make a great odour neutraliser.

    Mints - eating a mint shortly before or while working with a decomp can make the job a little more pleasant.  This will reduce what you smell and make everything slightly nicer.

    Kerosene - putting kerosene on bodies with bugs is an old trick.  The kerosene will kill most of the bugs overnight.  It will even kill many of the bugs inside the body, not just the ones on the surface.  This will not kill everything.  Unfortunately this is something one can only do in the mortuary.  On the transfer you will have to suffer the bugs as bug sprays will not kill the things inside the body.

    Masks - some people wear masks when handeling decomp bodies.  This can help, and more importantly it makes the whole adventure appear nicer or safer.  However they do not actually make much difference in terms of safety or pleasantness.

    Double glove - this is more a safety measure which can be used on transfers or in the mortuary, but with decomp bodies one should wear two gloves on each hand.  Doing this not only makes it less likely for something to get through the gloves but also means that if the outside pair get 'dirty' you can take them off and still have gloves on.

    Aprons - in the mortuary one should wear an apron when handeling a decomp body.  This prevents any unwanted 'bits' getting on your person.  Unfortunately this is rarely available or practical on transfers.

Things to watch for:

    Skin slip - this is rather unpleasant.  It is basically where the skin or flesh of the body slips as it is picked up or moved.  It can happen with elderly bodies, however it is much more likely and much more unpleasant with decomp bodies.  So watch how you hold these bodies.

    Smell - the smell can almost literally hit you when you first encounter a decomp body.  If going into a room or opening a bag that contains a decomp body prepare yourself for the smell.  It can hit hard but will fade fast (especially if you let it in).  The first few moments are the worst but after that it becomes better.  The worst thing about the smell is how it can penetrate and cling.  It can get through a body bag and a fridge then will stick to your cloths.

    Bugs - they are very unpleasant.  But there is little to nothing one can do to manage the bugs outside the mortuary.  As with smell the best you can do is know about it ahead of time and mentally prepare yourself.

    Fluids - this is exactly what it sounds like.  Bodily and other fluids can pool and accumulate, especially in body bags.  Be aware of this when dealing with decomp bodies.

Some last words:

    In the end you can do what a lot to manage a decomp body.  Yet it will never be a pleasant job and will often be difficult, physically and mentally.  Decomp bodies can be heavy, they can be lose and there can be fluids.  But in all honesty decomp bodies are not always as bad as they sound.  Yes they can be extremely unpleasant but generally it is not too bad and often down to personal taste.

~~

Body Bags

Fig 1. A body bag on a tray in a mortuary

    When one thinks of body bags one usually thinks of a black plastic bag with a large zipper down the front.  This is however not what I found them to be.

    The body bags in NSW are made of blue tarpaulin, as shown in figure 1.  I remember how surprised I was to find body bags were made of exactly the same stuff as the tarpaulin in my car.  Even down to the colour and feel they are identical.  Occasionally body bags will be made of brown tarpaulin, or a white or brown heavy cloth. This heavy cloth type is rare and more expensive, but some companies prefer it for nursing home or house transfers as it is a lot quieter than the tarpaulin bags.

    The other thing is that body bags do not have handels.  Well there are some with handels but these are rare.  This is because they are "noticeably more expensive" (as someone once told me) and as such groups like hospitals or funeral homes are reluctant to buy them.  The handels are made of seatbelt material and are stitched into the inside of cloth bags.

    Final thing is the zipper.  The zipper is not down the middle or at the front.  Instead it is on the side, slightly above the very edge of the bag.  This makes it much easier to get the bag under a body and then zip it up.  It means you do not have to lift the body into the bag but can simply roll the bag under the body.  This is great for small spaces, heavy bodies or just to save effort.  Plus having the zip on the side means it's less lightly to rip or break under stress.

    With infectious bodies some places use a special yellow body bag.  This bag is basically the same material as the tarpaulin type but a stronger and more leak proof material.  It is a great idea to use this bag as you immediately know by the bright yellow colour that the body is infectious.  However most places do not use these bags for whatever reason.

    Something I find interesting is that on the Australian Museum they have a section on body bags (where I got the picture).  On that page they say that there are special regulations for body bags and that extra precautions are taken for infectious bodies.  But in my experience I have seen bodies transfered while only wrapped in a plastic sheet and/or blanket.  Which apparently meets the legal and health requirements.  And with infectious bodies they are sometimes placed in a yellow bag or in two bags, but this is very rare.

    So that there's some information about the body bag.  It's not a black thing with a large zip on the front like in TV shows and movies.  It's most often a tarpaulin bag with the zip down one side.

~

http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Body-Bag

Video - Cremation of a body

    After my last post someone sent me this fairly interesting youtube video.  The video shows the cremator  'burner' (or retort) in action, then what the ash is like after being burnt and how it is turned into what we know as ash.

<> WARNING!! The video does show human bones being burnt <>

    Although I personally see nothing wrong with the video, they show less than many TV shows or movies. But I understand some would not want to see this.

    Something I will note is that in America they must take the body out of the coffin before burning it.  Here in Australia this would be against the law as a body must be contained in a coffin and the crematorium staff are not allowed to open the coffin.  Of course there are exceptions for certain religions but I am not sure how that would work.  I know crematorium staff do not have the equipment or training in Australia to open a coffin nor do they want to.

    So do not worry, if your loved one was cremated in Australia they were never taken out of the coffin at the crematorium for any reason.

~~

Funeral Terminology

    There is a bit of specific terminology in the funeral industry.  But actually not that much, especially when compared with other areas such as psychology, medicine, etc.


General Terminology:

• DC - Death Certificate, the original is essential with all burials and cremations.  Also used as authority to transfer a body.
• CC - Cremation Certificate, the original is essential with all cremations.
• Intrim - A temporary DC used to transfer a body.  It is not suitable for burial or cremation.
• NDY or Not Dead Yet - Someone who is soon to die and is arranging their funeral.

Transfer Terminology:

• Transfer - The process of moving a dead body prior to any service, such as collecting a body from the hospital to bring to the funeral home.  Or taking the body to the airport to be sent overseas.
• Transfer Vehicle, Ambulance Hearse - Although 'ambulance hearse' is a much older term often considered inappropriate by many, it can still be used.  Either way this is the vehicle used to transfer the body.  It is usually a white Toyota Hiace van.
• Ambulance Stretcher, Collapsible Stretcher - A stretcher used to transfer bodies.  It has collapsable legs, like an ambulance stretcher, which fold down and in with the use of a handel.
• One-Man Stretcher, Carry Stretcher - A stretcher used to transfer bodies.  It has no legs, instead only two wheels on the foot end of the stretcher.  It is much lighter and cheaper than the ambulance stretcher but the lack of legs makes it difficult to carry heavy bodies.
• Slide Sheets - Large slippery sheets made from parachute material.  They are used to slide or carry bodies about, often in small or awkward spaces.  Although these sheets are not cheap they are durable and reusable.
• Pat Slides - A flat, thin board, smaller than the average person.  It is used in hospitals and nursing homes as well to slide a body from the bed to stretcher.  Or to slide a body up or down small heights.
• Evacuation Pod - This is basically like a hammock that is sealed with buckles.  Used to move a body up or down stairs.  One person will hold the long handles at both the foot and head end which makes the weight even and controllable, even down steep stairs or slopes.
• Seat Slide - A cloth basket like carrier with four handles.  It is used to move a body from a seated position (such as on the toilet or in a chair) and onto the stretcher.
• Body Bag - A blue large plastic bag made out of tarpaulin like material used for containing and moving a body.  It has a long zipper from head to toe and can be unzipped so it is completely open.  Although most body bags are simple and have no handels lately there have been more with handels, and more cloth style body bags.
• Valuables - Anything on the body other than clothes.  Such as jewellery, pictures, watches, money, etc.  It does not have to be worth anything.  All valuables should be noted on the transfer sheet and in the mortuary book.
• ID Tag, Wrist Tag - An armband placed around at least one, but sometimes both wrists of the deceased.  There should always be at least one on the body at all times.  The wirst tag is similar to a hospital or club wrist band, plastic and secured with one press button that cannot be undone once fastened.  Some places use different colours to represent different things, such as yellow for valuables to be returned to the family and blue for valuables to stay with the body or red for no valuables.

Funeral & Hearse Terminology:

• Goose Neck - The stopper used in a hearse to keep the coffin in place.  It is slotted into special holes along the middle of the hearse and tightened with a horizontal screw with a rubber stopped on the end.
• Pegs - The small metal 'sticks' used to keep the coffin straight as it is loaded or unloaded from the hearse.  They have rubber on the top to prevent damage to the coffin.
• Ropes - The long flat ropes used to manually lower the coffin at the grave.
• Automatic Lower - A device used at the graveside to lower coffins automatically.  It can only be used on certain lawn graves.  Basically it uses clockwork style gears inside to keep the speed steady and slow.
• Wing Droos, Side Doors - When referring to the hearse this is describing the small doors on either side that open to the space under where the coffin sits.  The space underneath the coffin is completely hollow and designed to store things, these doors give access to that area.
• Coffin Bars - Long bars used to carry a coffin.  At least two are placed under the coffin, one at each end, and one person will carry the bar on either side.  This means at least four people will carry the coffin with both hands, which makes it much easier.
• Catafalgue - A special and specific object at crematoriums.  This is what the coffin is placed on at the crematorium, be it fixed to the front or movable and on wheels.
• Crypt, Vault - A special above ground 'burial' for the deceased.  Usually refers to a small stone building where four to ten coffins can sit on each level.  It sometimes has two levels, one on the surface and one underground.
• Cortege - The process of cars following the hearse.  They should (by law) have their lights on, but not hazard lights or high beams.  The cortege should also have right of way (by law) at roundabouts and other intersections without lights.  It is also highly illegal to cut-off a cortege, but this is difficult to prove or police.
• Police Cortege, Police Honour Guard - A special cortege which has police guiding it or blocking traffic at least part of the way.  Very rare now with few funerals having police escorts unless the deceased had direct ties to the police or was extremely important.  This type of cortege will often speed slightly and run read lights.  They will also follow each other a lot closer in this type of cortege.
• Family Car, Mourning Car - The car provided by the funeral company to transport the family, friends of the deceased or the priest or celebrant.  For example Greek Orthodox funerals must provide a free car for the priest, although they will often charge the family secretly.
• Zink Liner - A special inside lining made of zink.  It is used for international transfers or for coffins going into a vault.  The zink liner prevents fluids and gases getting in or out of the coffin.
• Grave Marker - A simple marker used to indicate where someone was recently buried.  It can be used temporarily or in lieu of a gravestone.  Most often it is a simple white wooden cross.

Mortuary Terminology:

• TP - A temporary, simple embalming of the body.  It is much quicker and easier than a complete embalm.
• Aneurysm Hook - Perhaps one of the most useful and versatile tools in the mortuary.  And it looks and feels great! With a flat hook on one end and a rounded scraper on the other it can be used in endless ways.  Plus the gap in the middle makes it great for tying suture corde to, this means the needle wont go falling off the table.
• Forceps - Scissor like tool that seals, grabs and clamps rather than cuts.
• Trocar - An ancient device used to inject and/or remove fluids from a body.

This is a picture of just about every tool used in embalming or the mortuary in general.  Starting from left to right at the top you can see the trocar, other similar fluid removing/adding tools, forceps and clamps and finally the different gauges of needles used for suturing and other such tasks.  On the second, bottom row we see scalpels, scissors, a few different aneurysm hooks, tweezers and finally different attachments for the trocar.

~~

The Slow Rise of Obesity

    Obesity and heavy bodies are becoming an increasing problem for the funeral industry.  Yes, on one hand it means a shorter life spane which is good for the industry.  But more importantly it is causing big issues and costing the whole industry a lot of time and money.  So here is a look at some changes being introduced to handle heavy bodies and why.

    Australia now has a higher number of obese people than America.  And there is countless evidence to show how Australians are getting heavier.  Indeed there is no doubt that the average weight is changing.  So the funeral industry, just like many other industries, will have to keep up with this change.

    Any body over 70kg is tricky to work with.  At 90kg they become difficult and require special attention.  The first issue we have with a heavy body is with the transfer. The transfer crew consists of two people.  Only two people and little special equipment.  This makes moving 90kg+ of dead weight very difficult.  And as I outline in the house transfers post most homes were not designed to move a body through.  Hence the saying "I hope they die on the ground floor".  So some of the first changes seen in the funeral industry are procedural changes dealing with transferring heavy bodies.  They are designing special courses solely dedicated to teaching staff how to safely move a heavy body.  These courses are targeted at western Sydney, such as Liverpool, Penrith, Eastern Creek, Paramatta, etc.  Obviously this is because there is a higher rate of obese people people in Western Sydney.  And truth be told all except for one of the heavy or obese bodies I have transfered were either from the coroners or from Westmead Hospital.

    I remember assisting the embalmer with a big guy from the Pacific Islands.  The skin on his skull was over an inch thick, and it should only be a few millimetres at most.  Usually the embalmer can work alone and have a body fully embalmed in about three hours.  However it took three of us about two days just to embalm him.  Then five of us another day to dress and coffin him.

    Special body bags and coffins for heavy or large bodies have always existed.  But their rate of use is increasing.  Now body bags with handles are becoming more common and are almost a regular site for many transfer crews.  One coffin manufacturer told me how he is making proportionately more oversize (OS) coffins than he did a few years ago.  He is also looking at different, more secure ways to attach the handles to coffins.

    Most normal OS coffins will fit in a hearse and most other spaces without too much trouble.  It might be a bit tight, but it can get about.  However the custom larger OS coffins are another story, some will not even fit in the hearse.  A transfer van is the only option for transporting a large OS coffin.  And nobody could carry it by handles, so no handles are attached (which also saves space).  They carry it on three to four long bars they place underneath the coffin.  This means there is always three to four people on each side, making it easier to carry.  However this coffin is too large for most cemeteries and crematoriums.  We struggle to fit something like that through a large door, having to go through the service garage door.

    Most of these large coffins do not fit in many regular crematoriums, either through the doors or in the 'burner' itself.  Just last year crematorium set about installing a spacial new 'burner' to cremate larger bodies.  It will have a bigger door and more space inside because they had a couple of bodies that would not fit in the crematorium.  They had to get the funeral director to re-coffin the body into a smaller custom made coffin with thin walls.  Squishing up the body to do so.  A regular 'burner' costs over $250,000 just to buy, let alone install.  So a special larger one will cost a lot more.  Yet it is obviously worth it and they will be one of the only crematoriums to have the larger accommodation.  The average burning time is about 3 hours for most bodies.  However they have had a couple in recent time who took 24-36 hours.  This is a big difference from most people.

    Recently the coroners at Glebe installed a special lifting machine over the lift we use to load bodies in and out of the coroners.  This lifting device is designed to move a body between the coroners trolleys and the transfer stretcher.  It is not just bolted onto the roof but has its own special frame built into the roof and has a weight rating of up to 400kg.  This would have easily cost tens of thousands to buy and install.  And the coroners had their last budget heavily slashed so much they had to reduce staff in some areas.  But again, just like the special cremator it is worth it.

    There were rumours that the cemeteries were considering increasing the size of grave plots.  You can buy larger plots, or double sized plots.  But the rumour was that they were looking at increasing the average size of plots.  And cemeteries are very space conscious.  They covert space and hold on to it with devotion, always desiring and devouring more.  After all, once a space is taken it will be decades before it may become open again.  Waverly for example is mostly closed, to buy a plot there would cost at least $70,000 for just one, if it is even available.  And selling space is worth a lot, they even take out or shrink roads to make space for more grave plots.  Others constantly try to expand into neighbouring national parks or empty land.  For the cemeteries to increase plot size would be to lose land, which is a massive issue for the cemetery.

    Overall many new procedures, technologies and attitudes are being developed to deal with the increasing number of obese people in Australia.  All at great cost, time and effort.  But in the end many organisations see it as worth it.

~~

House Transfers

   This is the most unpredictable and delicate form of transfer.  Because of this it is the most interesting and also the most difficult.  It involves going into someone private residence to remove a dead body, often in front of family or friends.


One must always be on guard and act professionally when doing a house transfer. You should never forget that not only are you moving a body, a loved one but you are also doing it in someones private home. It is incredibly personal for most people.


Here is the basic procedure:

1. Get the paperwork.  Before you do anything make sure they have the appropriate papers.  If there is no DC or interim then something signed by a doctor or other professional which declares the person dead and give you authority to remove them.
2. Scope out the place, you can do this while sorting the paperwork.  What you want to look for is a way in and out as well as what the situation and residence are like.  Will you need to move furniture?  Can you get the stretcher to the body and back?  Are there any stairs or tight corners?  And other similar questions.  Do this
before you get the stretcher out.
3. Bring gloves and wear them when needed.  Keep them quietly in your pocket and actually wear them, some find it awkward to put on glove in font of the family but it is your health at stake.  The family may object to you wearing gloves as they do not see the deceased as ‘dirty’ or ‘diseased’.  But again, it is your health and helps preserve the deceased.
4. Assess the situation before starting.  You do not want to be in an awkward situation where you realise the stretcher will not fit through the door with a body. Knowing what you are dealing with and talking it through with your partner can avoid an embarrassing issue later.
5. Talk to the family or those who are watching.  If appropriate tell them what you are going to do.  Even before putting on the gloves let them know and why.  Not only will this make them more comfortable but they might even help.
6. Getting them involved.  This is debatable and not recommended unless absolutely necessary.  The family or whoever is there may be quite willing and able to help, but they are not trained or experienced.  If anything goes wrong because of them it would be your fault. In situations where it would be dangerous or very impractical not to get their help, and they are willing and able, then ask them.  Other times the family just
want to help and doing so will make them happier.  If this is the case find something simple and easy for them.
7. Check for valuables!!  This is one of the most important steps, but check for valuables on the body before you put them in the stretcher.  Also ask the family if anything is to go with them such as clothing.

Dealing with the Residence:
   Explain what you have to do and the procedure before you do it.  This will help them understand and prevent any unpleasant surprises.  If it is appropriate get them involved in the process.  Not only can this make it easier for you but it makes them feel better.  Someone I work with is great at this.  He at least gets them to at least help slide the body onto our stretcher and they always appreciate it.  So if the job is difficult or dangerous and the residence are willing and able to help ask them.

   I personally prefer the family or friends be out of the room when transferring the body to the stretcher.  This is because it allows me to be rougher and work as I  normally would without worrying about what others think.  Sometimes it is impossible to move a body ‘delicately’ and watching it could look bad.

   You must always wear gloves on all transfers.  However with house transfers the residence may take offence to this.  To them their loved one is not dirty or diseased.  This is not about dirt or disease, most bodies are clean.  This is about simple hygiene and cleanliness for the body as well as you.  Explain to the residence about the gloves before you put them on.  Keep them comfortable and informed about the process.


   Never demand, never expect and never judge.  These are all important when dealing with residence.  Demanding things will make them unhappy and uncooperative.  Expecting things will disappoint you or leave you high and dry.  And never judge, everyone is different.  While some people appear uncaring or cold they may simply be grieving, or did not know the deceased well.  How sad are you that they are dead?

The Unpredictability:
   The driveway is the first issue you may find.  Many places do not have driveways meaning you need to ‘load up’ on the street.  Just do what you have to do, but be quick and discrete about it.  Other times there is a driveway but it is impractical or difficult to reverse into.  Do not be fooled, reverse in if you can.  This will make loading up easier and then you can just drive out.  Reversing out is always more difficult than reversing in.

   Stairs and doors are a nightmare.  Not only are they difficult to get around but they are often dangerous.  Stairs in particular can be slippery, steep and have tight corners.  One person has a story about how the stairs collapsed as he carried a heavy body out of a house.  It resulted in him being up to his waist in stairs and with a heavy stretcher with a body on top of him.

   Furniture is also an issue.  It is often in the way of getting the body onto the stretcher, or getting the stretcher out of the place.  This can be anything from a little table by the door to a washing machine.  Either way feel free to move it, ask first if the residence are about but always move it if it is in the way.  Asking sometimes results in them helping, so never hesitate to ask, or simply get them to help if you need.  Try to put the furniture back if you can, but this is not always impossible.  And remember that when moving anything electrical or plumed in to turn it off at the source and unplug it first.

   The location of the body itself is often a hazard in itself.  The deceased may be on the floor of a tiny bathroom with water everywhere and not enough room for the stretcher.  Or they might be in the middle of a large bed.  Beds are surprisingly difficult as you cannot get a solid or stable foot hold to move the body.

   The deceased will not have been cleaned in most cases.  While hospitals and nursing homes will usually clean the body, or at least neaten them up the residence of houses will not.  be ready for a dirty or messy body.

Three Relevant Transfers:
   One transfer I remember was very interesting in terms of dealing with residence.  We arrived, scoped out the place and situation.  There were two people there, the son and his friend.  they were fairly emotional and tense but very nice and easy to deal with.  We are about to head to the car and get the stretcher when they ask if they can watch.  We explain that it might not be pretty but are free to watch if they like.  After unloading the stretcher we come back, slide the door open and are confronted by over 40 people in the room.  The deceased’s whole family was there, from his cousins and children to his grandparents and friends.  To say this made us feel awkward is a serious understatement.  Imagine trying to work with over 40 emotional people watching your every move.  It all went well, but i will always remember the surprise of all those people and the awkwardness.

   On another transfer I had to deal with some stairs.  While the family were amazingly nice and friendly the job itself was particularly difficult.  The body was over 6 foot tall and he was not light.  The door was right next to the stairs with very little standing room let alone enough room to carry a stretcher.  And then there were the stairs.  They were slippery wooden, had no railing, a tight 180 bend in the middle and went up two stories.  We ended up standing him vertically in the stretcher to get him out the door.  Then slowly carrying him down the stairs.  It was very difficult and dangerous.

   My final transfer story is a little more ‘graphic’.   The deceased was on the floor in a tiny bathroom.  She had slipped getting out of the bath and died on the floor.  There was a puddle of water (or at least what I hope was water) all over the floor.  Luckily there was no blood at least.  Because of the small size of the room there was not enough room to get the stretcher in and barely enough room to stand.  After much struggling and tricky maneuvering we got her onto a sheet and then dragged her out into the hall where we put her on the stretcher.

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   This makes the whole procedure very personal for those involved.  So remember, the most important thing is to be delicate and professional!!  Discretion is the corner stone of this industry and it is never more important as with a house transfer.  Most times the family/friends will understand what you have to do, but try to be as nice and delicate about it as possible.
   As for the unpredictability, with a hospital or nursing home you will generally know what to expect.  However with a house transfer you will rarely know what the situation is before you get there.  And peoples residence are rarely designed to get a body out of.  Think about how hard it is to move something like a couch or fridge into or out of your place.  Now imagine doing it with a body, the weight is about 60-80kg at the lightest with the trolley and you have to be more delicate than you can be with furniture.