Crematory owners and operators have a moral and ethical duty to treat all human remains, before and after cremation, with the utmost respect – not like airport baggage.

  And funeral homes using a crematory must likewise ensure the crematory used shows the proper level of respect. Otherwise, the firm is overlooking a fiduciary responsibility the family has entrusted in your firm.

  For example, a funeral home should know whether its crematory has written policies employees are required to follow. This knowledge is acquired by requesting a copy of the third-party crematory’s policies and procedures. The policies should have standards that bring respect and dignity to the cremation process.

  Proper policies and procedures include receiving human remains in a clean and respectful area that is secured and out of public view. At many crematories, the human remains are unloaded, in their container, outside of a garage door in view of the general public. But this is neither a preferable image to present to the public nor a proper way to handle the deceased with respect and dignity.

  Further, consider who is allowed to be in the area when the human remains are checked in, identification verified, loaded into cremator, cremator cleaned out and the cremated human remains processed. In most of these areas the only person present should be the crematory operator, family or the funeral director entrusted by the family to handle the cremation case. Vault company employees, cemetery employees and the general public should not be allowed to ensure the human remains have the same respect they receive in an embalming room at a funeral home.

  Moreover, consider how the human remains are stored if they cannot be placed in the chamber of the cremator when they are received. They should be in a clean and secured refrigeration unit – not pushed up against a wall of a garage. Consider how you would feel about your mother, father, spouse or child treated that way.

  While it’s impossible to return 100 percent of the cremated human remains, it’s also impossible to completely avoid comingling after the first cremation of a cremator. But still, all possible measures must be taken to return the largest amount of cremated human remains while reducing comingling to the lowest degree. The best way to accomplish this is by vacuuming after each cremation. Without vacuuming after each cremation, the human remains are not being treated with respect because less than the possible amount is being returned.

  Lastly, even after determining a crematory is offering the proper amount of respect and dignity to all human remains, employ an outside party that works in the cremation or death care industry to review the policies of your crematory or the one you employ. In fact, all funeral homes using third-party crematories should do at least annual unannounced inspections of the crematory used.

  Many times, the least expensive crematory in the area cuts corners and doesn’t offer the same levels of care that others do. Ultimately, a firm has a fiduciary responsibility to the family of the deceased – and it’s still the firm’s job to ensure cremation is handled in a respectful way, even when a third-party crematory is used. If a third-party crematory doesn’t meet acceptable and respectable standards, then another should be utilized.

  Conversely, many first-class crematories have the highest standards and most rigid procedures in place. When one of their third-party users is not following proper procedures it is also necessary to require higher standards are met and enforced – or do business elsewhere.

  When I write an article on cremation, I attempt to upgrade the cremation procedures that many of the death care providers currently follow. These procedures may take more time or may add cost to your firm. If they do, you may want to research what you are charging and adjust to reflect the dignity and respect that everyone needs to have when dealing with consumers that chose cremation.