Guest Post - Girl Problems in the Mortuary

    A female mortician and I were talking about mortuary work and the topic of fingernails came up. How she managed to wear glove and perform mortuary duties despite having relatively long and elaborate fingernails. So she has decided to write a post about being a woman in the mortuary. Here it is:

Don't get me wrong it's not all bad, but being a female certainly does have its disadvantages. Allow me to elaborate.

The TAFE Mortuary Sciences Course

    Recently someone sent me this link, it's the information for the 'Mortuary Theatre Practices' at TAFE. It looks like an interesting course, and while not essential for the funeral industry it could certainly be useful or at least informative.

    For more information follow the link below:

http://www.sydneytafe.edu.au/coursefinder//29004#.UhFC6mSSCuN

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The Process - On the funeral

    Recently I came across an old post which I never published, simply forgot about it. It might not be completely accurate, or even up to date. This was written just over a year ago and forgotten about.

    Not long ago I wrote about how the body makes it from the site of death to the hearse for the funeral.  This is my follow up post on what happens once the coffin in loaded into the hearse.  Once again I focus on the coffin and its immediate preparations.  There is a lot of paperwork and other things going on at the same time which I do not cover.  Yet this time I talk more about the staff and how they go about the job.  This is so you can understand the feel of it better.

    Anyway, here's what happens after the coffin is loaded into the hearse.

Interview with an Undertaker

    Here's the first interview with someone from the funeral industry.  I feel it went well and the topics discussed were quite interesting, it was good to hear such a frank and open opinion on certain things.

ESMP open day

    Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park had its open day this weekend.  It was a great day, so much to do and a wonderful atmosphere.  But what made it special was how open and relaxed the staff and company was.

    This was the last public social event for the funeral industry (that I know of).  And it was a great day, a perfect way to end the social calendar for the industry.

Inside the funeral home: Lady Anne Funerals

    Recently I spent a day at Lady Anne Funerals in West Ryde, behind the scenes observing how they operate.  I first met a few Lady Anne staff at the Rookwood open day.  They were quite open to the idea of me going to observe and study their operations.  Rare considering the paranoia and secrecy in most of the funeral industry.

    This is about my day inside Lady Anne Funerals, what I saw and what it was like.  I had a great day and learnt a lot.  Lady Anne Funerals is a wonderful company with great staff.

Inside a Mortuary - Again

    I posted these photos and videos of various funeral home mortuaries in mid September.  In under a month that post has been viewed over 100 times, making it the second most popular post on this blog.

    So here's a few more pictures of inside a funeral home mortuary.  Enjoy!

The Process - From death to funeral

    This is the process of how a body gets from the place of death to the funeral.  Not many people think about this, and even fewer know about it.  Here it is, step by step in a simple guide from when the person dies to when the coffin is sent on the funeral.

Inside a Mortuary

    I have been asked a few times about what a mortuary is like.  Few people have seen a mortuary in person.  The only time most of us have any experience with a mortuary or morgue is on TV.  I tell people the mortuary isn't really like what is show on TV.  But this leaves people with a puzzled look, wondering "well, what is it like then?"

    Here are a collection of pictures I took inside a funeral home mortuary.  As well as a few videos and other things  by others which show a mortuary.

Short Video - The Embalming Room

    This is an interesting video showing and explaining the inside of a mortuary.  She goes through most of the tools and various techniques of the trade.  There's no actual procedures or bodies shown, just the tools and some parts of the room.  It's an interesting little video which should help educate those who have never been into a mortuary.

The Embalming Room - Women in the Funeral Industry (Funeral Divas)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1_WGL8ffU

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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.

Funeral Graffiti

    I was looking through old pictures and found this one interesting one.  Then I realised how it had been a while since I posted any pictures and thought it was a perfect time for this!

    It's a piece of rather amusing graffiti I found on my way into a hospital morgue once upon a time.

OH&S - The mortuary

    OH&S is an important part of the funeral industry as there are many hazards to contend with regularly. From back injuries to infections or even burns, while not a dangerous industry it is hazardous.  Here is a briefe guide to keep you safe in the mortuary.

- Look at the board as you enter: Any decent funeral home will have a white board in its mortuary.  This board contains all relevant information about the deceased within the fridge, from name and date of death to size and whether they have a pacemaker or are infectious.  So have a quick look to see if anyone has an old date of death, lots of fluids or is infectious before jumping in.

- PPE or Personal Protective Equipment: Protective equipment and clothing is key with any OH&S.  It can range from basic gloves to special masks.


Hygiene:

- PPE; Gloves: This is rather simple but easy to miss.  Put on gloves before entering the mortuary and continue to wear them at all times once inside.  Naturally there will be times where you have to take them off while in the mortuary.  This is not an issue so long as you touch as little as possible without gloves and wash your hands afterwards.

<>   Warning: Wearing latex based gloves or other equipment regularly and often can result in latex allergies, especially with products containing latex powder.  Symptoms include; skin irritations/dryness, vomiting, nausea, difficulty breathing, headaches, etc.  Latex free gloves and equipment will prevent this.   <>

- Double glove: This is where you wear two gloves on each hand, so a total of four gloves.  Some think that this is a little silly or over the top.  But it reduces the chance of something getting through a broken glove and if you need to take the outer gloves off for some reason then you are still wearing a pair which are clean.  I really liked to double glove in many situations and not just where the work was dirty, even transfer.  So while I really recommend it it is not always praticale or viable.  For one it waists gloves (which add up) and can take time if they gloves do not fit well.

- PPE; Shoe caps: These are basically shower caps to wear over your shoes.  It prevents you walking things in or our of the mortuary on your shoes.  Not all mortuaries will have these, nor are they actually that important.  If they are available then use them, if not do not worry.

- PPE; Masks: Not always essential or useful but necessary in certain situations.  For example with a bad decomp body or when embalming.

- PPE; Goggles: Just like the maks it is not always useful but when it is it becomes essential.  For example when embalming fluids can squirt, these are not fluids you want in your eye.

- Wash and disinfect hands: Again this is simple and easy to miss yet so important to basic safety and hygiene.

- Alcohol based cleaning: Alcohol based cleaning products and hand sanitises greatly reduce the chance of infection.  Just after exiting the mortuary or as soon as you are back in the transfer vehicle use a small bit of this type of hand sanitiser.  It i simple and effective.

- Wipe up fluids as you go: This falls into two categories as it presents two different types of danger.  Fluids (such as blood, stomach contents, etc) can contain infectious diseases and so they should be dealt with asap.


Safety:

- Careful when lifting: The biggest hazard in the mortuary (and industry) is back injuries.  Keep your back straight and bend your knees.  Always ask for help if you are not confident and do not be a hero.

- Get a grip on the body: When moving the body about, especially if rolling it on its side, make sure you have a good grip on the body and good footing on the ground.  Bodies are often surprisingly heavy and do not help, they're just dead weight.  To roll a body safely put one hand on the furthest side of its hip and using your other hand take the furthest arm of the body.  Next pull towards you with both hands together and the body should roll to the side.  Do not pull too far or you will end up on the ground with a body on top of you.

- Wipe up fluids and liquids as you go: This falls into two categories as it presents two different types of danger.  Fluids (such as blood, stomach contents, etc) can be slippery and give you trouble when try to move the body.  So wipe them up and prevent an accident.

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Hospital Transfers

    Hospital transfers are generally the more predictable and easier form of transfer.  The first time at a hospital might be tricky, but once you have been there you know exactly what it is like and what to expect.  From then on every trip will be fairly similar and predictable.

    The main issue is usually with the CC (cremation certificate).  It costs $80 to get a CC and often needs to be paid for first.  This means going to a cashier then going back to the records section to collect the papers.  The other common issue is with after hours or if a hospital has dedicated mortuary staff and they are away.  Then it can take a while to get security or someone else to let you in.

    Something which caught my attention was how hidden the mortuaries appear to be.  It is as though to hide the mortuary is to deny that death happens there.  Those that run the hospitals do not want the mortuary to be seen or known of by the public.  As such the mortuary is usually in a service corridor, between the kitchens and laundry rooms.  The mortuary door is unlabelled and looks like a janitors closet.  An interesting correlation is that the hospitals who do not hide the mortuary tend to have the best mortuaries (such as Westmead and Concord).  The ones that hide the mortuary are the ones that tend to have the worst mortuaries (such as RPA).

    Hospital mortuaries usually have a large fridge.  To find the correct body an undertaker enteres this large fridge and 'goes shopping' as someone put it.  This involves going up to each body and checking its ID one by one until the right one is found.  Sometimes you will find the right one first go, but many times it will take a few moments.  Some hospitals (such as Westmead and Concord) keep the bodies on numbered trays.  Others like Royal North Shore have an ID badge on the outside of the body bag.  Both systems make it easier to find the body and can skip the 'shopping' experience.

    A list of hospitals and how to do a transfer there.  Note; this is not a complete list and things are liable to change.  So it is perhaps not an accurate list.

Concorde:
This is a good hospital. The mortuary is basic, kind of dark, but it is always clean and organised. The administration in this hospital is also very good and efficient. The mortuary staff are also great to work with. It is also one of the only hospitals which signposts the location of the mortuary.

Contacts:
- Switchboard: 9767 5000.
- Fax: 9767 6991.
- Address: Hospital Rd, Concord West NSW 2138

1. Enter via the gate at the intersection of Nullawarra Ave and Boronia St, Concorde West.
2. Head over to the records building for both the DC and CC.
3. Collect the papers from records and head to the mortuary which is just back down the road and on the left as you exit.
4. Wait for the staff to show up.  This is the only issue as it can sometimes take time.  It should be noted that they will try to drop what they are doing and prioritise getting to you.  So do not bug them too much.
5. Let them know who you need, sign out the body and go.  That’s it!

Greenwich Hospital:
A good hospital and mortuary. However there are no dedicated mortary staff, although the medical and admin staff here are good. The only tricky part is how spread out everything is and how one has to go up and down levels to get everything. If you go around the back and basically in what appears to be a staff door then you will have a lift that can take you everywhere.  Saving yourself a lot of unnecessary trouble and walking.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9903 8333.
- Fax: 9903 8269.
- Address: 97-115 River Road, GREENWICH NSW 2065.

1. Enter via the lights on River Rd, Greenwich, near Standish St.  Watch out as the sign for the hospital is a large white board behind some bushes and with small writing.  This makes it easy to miss.
2. Drive up the hill and park by the mortuary first, it is an older green garage door on the left as you go up the hill.
3. Go in the doors to the left of the garage. There you will find the lift that can take you everywhere and saves walking up and down stairs and slopes.
4. If you need a CC head over to reception first to collect the receipt. This is up on level 2.
5. Next go the records office, on level 1, turn right as you exit the lift and right again.
6. The staff will get the appropriate papers then accompany you to the mortuary which should be right next to where you parked (on level G).
7. Reverse into the now open garage and shut the door to conceal what is happening.
8. Sign out the body as with many other hospitals and head out shutting the garage door behind you.

Royal North Shore:
RNS is a great hospital. Everything is close and easy to get to. Sure there is a long walk from the van to the mortuary, but it is an easy and level walk. Then the records are right next to the mortuary. But one of the best things about this place is the staff. It shows how having dedicated mortuary staff makes a huge difference. The other thing here is do not annoy the mortuary staff or they can make things difficult.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9926 7111.
- Fax: 9926 7779.
- Address: Reserve Road, ST LEONARDS NSW 2065.

1. Enter via Westbourn St, St Leonards, just off the Pacific Hwy.
2. Turn right where the ‘Emergencies’ sign points; just after all the parallel parking, before the round about area.  Follow the road around and turn into the car park on the left just after the ambulance bay.  Opposite the hospital entrance there is a driveway with a chain across it.  Remove the chain and
reverse up around the corner, you want to be as out of site and close to the doors as possible.  Put the chain back lest you get parked in.
3. Grab your trolley and proceed through the wide door behind you. You will walk along a long and high corridor that reminds people of mine shafts.  Keep following the corridor until you get to a fork, here the middle tunnel will lead down to another level and has “Restricted Access” signs on it.  You want to go in a door to the right of that tunnel.
4. Go in the first door and stop at the second, here you just ring the buzzer and announce yourself when they answer.  If nobody is there use the phone to call security, or if they are busy call the switchboard operator.  It’s a 24 hour operation so someone will be about to let you in.
5. Once in you will notice the mortuary is a long corridor with the fridge on the left and another door at the end.  Which ever one of you is in charge of paperwork will now continue out the other door.  If and only if you need a CC then you will need to go up to level 10 and pay the cashier before coming back down.  As you exit the mortuary you will have noticed on the right is Medical Records.  This is where you go to actually collect the DC and CC.
6. While one person is collecting the paperwork the other will collect the body.  Head into the big fridge and ‘go shopping’.  The bags are almost always clearly marked and labeled here to make it easier for you.  Once you’ve located the correct body wheel them out into the corridor/mortuary.
7. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased.
8. Wedge the deceased on the hospital trolley against the wall and place your trolley between you and the deceased.  Now simply slide them from the hospital trolley to your trolley.  This is a one person operation due to the convenient height and shape of the hospital trolleys here.
9. Complete the mortuary book and head out.

<> RNS is under renovations and due to move the mortuary. So in not long the system here will be completely different <>
Royal Prince Alfred:
Simply put I hate this place (as do most undertakers).  It is the most disrespectful mortuary in NSW by far. The staff themselves are nice enough, and do try. However the whole system is just shocking and regards the dead as a nuisance. RPA is a great hospital with wonderful administration and doctors. So if sick go here. However if you are to die it would be better to do so on the street as the dead are disrespected so much at RPA.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9515 6111.
- Fax: 9515 6133.- Address: Missenden Road, CAMPERDOWN NSW 2050.

1. Book the wards-man before you even set off.  R.P.A is the
only place where you will need to book the wards-man in advance.  Just be aware that booking them will not mean they show up on time.
2. Enter via John Hopkins Drv, Camperdown, just off Misseden Rd.
3. Drive around back, head to the little brick church behind the main hospital building.  Just opposite the church is a driveway that goes up into a sealed car park.  Buzz secruity on the intercom and head in.  The parking space is at the end and on your left.
4. You will enter the building on level 2 and the mortuary is just down the corridor past the lifts and to the right.  These lifts will take you directly to Medical Records, but not to the Cashier.
5. If you need a CC go to the cashier next to reception on level 1 first and collect the receipt.
6. If you only need a DC or have a receipt then go to Medical Records on level 4.  If going straight from reception you will need to head over to the North Elevator down the corridor.  Do not go up the first lift you see or you will get stuck at a dead end.
7. Collect the DC and CC (if needed) from Medical Records and make sure they ring the wards-man before heading to the mortuary.
8. Sit and wait.  You can wait an hour easily, and if they are there in 30 minutes or less count yourself lucky.  An issue here is that there use to be a row of dirty discarded chairs to at least sit on.  Now there are none.
9. Once the wards-man shows up head in, show him the papers and sign the body out.  Sometimes you will have to get the body yourself as they might be slow or unwilling.
10. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.

Sacred Heart Hospice:
This is another pretty good hospital.  The staff are usually fast and helpful.  However they can be a bit slow sometimes.  The entrance to the morgue is easy to miss, so keep and eye out for the crossing and look for the driveway on the right.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9361 9444
- Address: 170 Darlinghurst Road, DARLINGHURST, NSW 2010.

1. Enter via Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst.
2. Go in the gate, use the one on the left.
3. Park somewhere inside out of the way, one person should wait in the car while the other continues inside for the papers.
4. Reception is just inside and on the right (similar to St Vincents Private).  You will need to sign a book, get the papers and you
must get the key.  This will let you into the garage for the mortuary and the building itself.  Either are impossible without it.  Make sure they also call the mortuary staff to let them know you are on the way.
5. Head to the mortuary on Victoria Rd.  To do this drive out and turn right onto Darlinghurst Rd.  Go right at Burton St and then right once more at Victoria Rd.
6. The entrance is on the right opposite St Vincents Private, just after a crossing.  Swipe the key at the boom gate to enter.
7. The mortuary is down the end on the left, but you will need to back up to it.  So drive in and turn right so you head to the wall, this will let you reverse down the car park and up to the mortuary.  It is the glass door between the yellow bollards.
8. Swipe the key once more and make your way in, go right and then left into a long corridor.  The first door on the right is the mortuary, wait here for the staff.  This can take some time but is usually not too bad.
9. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.
10. Once all is done you will need to return the key to the staff member.  To exit into the car park there is a swipe pad to the left of the doors, just waving your hand by it is enough to open it.

St Vincents Private Hospital:
St Vincents private and public hospitals both share the same mortuary and basically the same procedure.  The main difference is just where you go to  get the paperwork.  The staff at both hospitals are also usually good, especially the dedicated mortuary staff.  It can be off-putting to go to the mortuary due to all the ‘No Entry’ signs and that you are driving down a park.  But it is ok, this is a service road for the hospital.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 8382 6222.
- Address: 438 Victoria Street, DARLINGHURST NSW 2010.

1. Enter via Victoria St, Darlinghurst.  Pull over and wait where all the cars are parked at a 45 angle.
2. Enter the hospital and head to reception for the DC or CC.  Fill in their book and let them call the mortuary to let them know you are on the way.
3. Head over to the mortuary, it is located in Barcom Ave.  To get there continue up Victoria St, turn left on Oxford St and then left right away into Barcom St.  Do not follow the road to the right but go straight up the brick roadway in the park.  Ignore the ‘No Entry’ signs.  There is a garage door on the left not too far down the roadway.  This is the mortuary entrance so reverse up to it.  In many cases it will already be opened for you.
4. Let the staff know who you are after and they will get the body.
5. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.
6. Load up the body and that is it.

St Vincents Public Hospital:
St Vincents public and private hospitals both share the same mortuary and basically the same procedure.  The main difference is just where you go to  get the paperwork.  The staff at both hospitals are also usually good, especially the dedicated mortuary staff.  It can be off-putting to go to the mortuary due to all the ‘No Entry’ signs and that you are driving down a park.  But it is ok, this is a service road for the hospital.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 8382 1111
.- Fax: 9332 4142.
- Address: 390 Victoria Street, DARLINGHURST NSW 2010.

1. Enter via Victoria St, Darlinghurst.  Turn left
just after the ‘Emergency’ sign into the temporary waiting area.
2. One person will wait in the car while the other heads in to get the paperwork.
3. If you need a CC go to the cashier first to pay for it.  They are located a little further down the corridor and on the right, opposite the ATM machine.
4. Go to reception next to the entrance for the DC and CC itself (it is on the right as you entered; similar to Sacred heart Hospice).  You will need to sign a book here and let them know who you are after before getting the DC or CC.
5. Make sure they call the mortuary and let them know you are on the way.
6. Head over to the mortuary, it is located in Barcom Ave.  To get there continue up Victoria St, turn left on Oxford St and then left right away into Barcom St.  Do not follow the road to the right but go straight up the brick roadway in the park.  Ignore the ‘No Entry’ signs.  There is a garage door on the left not too far down the roadway.  This is the mortuary entrance so reverse up to it.  In many cases it will already be opened for you.
7. Let the staff know who you are after and they will get the body.
8. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.
9. Load up the body and that is it.

Westmead:
Westmead has hands down one of the cleanest mortuaries you will ever find.  Do NOT take your trolley inside the mortuary.  They have lovely blue floors and do not want scuff marks, so if you try to take the trolley inside you may find yourself in trouble.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9845 5555.
- Fax: 9845 5000.
- Address: Cnr Hawkesbury and Darcy Roads, WENTWORTHVILLE NSW 2145.

1. Enter via the lights on Darcy Rd, Westmead.
2. Follow this road and stop at the main entrance in the 15min temporary parking area.  Whoever is in charge of paperwork will head inside.  Go in down the large corridor on the right and just to the left you will find Medical Records/Reception, it is an office set-up with lots of little cubicles and chairs to wait in.
3. Skip the queue (if there is one) and head straight to the counter.  They will recognise who you are and see you straight away.  This is where you pay for CC as well as collect the CC and DC.  Once you have all the paperwork head over to the mortuary.  
4. Continue up this road and turn left on Hawksberry Rd.  Turn left back into the hospital just after the round about and turn right straight away.  basically follow the ‘NETS’ signs until you see signs pointing to the mortuary.
5. This next part is the only issue with Westmead.  You will need to pass through two security boom gates.  Press the buzzer and prepare to wait a while, I have waited over 25mins before someone behind us got out and used their staff card to open the gate.
6. After passing a second boom gate there will be an awning on the right, head over here and reverse up to the big roller door.  Use the bell on the pillar to ring the mortuary staff.  If after hours or nobody is there then use the phone to call them in.
7. Get your trolley ready but leave it in the loading dock!  Never take your trolley onto the blue floor.  They keep it perfectly clean and will either be annoyed you took the trolley in or appreciate that you did not.
8. Hand them all the appropriate paperwork and they will pull out the body for you.
9. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.
10. Transfer the deceased to your trolley and into the car in the loading bay.  Make sure to fill in the mortuary book.

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