Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to prepare and encoffin deceased persons safely. It applies to funeral home staff working autonomously with a reasonable level of responsibility according to work health and safety, relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Prepare to encoffin the deceased person. | 1.1 Identify and prepare encoffining area and appropriate instruments, equipment and lifting device. 1.2 Prepare and use personal protective equipment. 1.3 Identify correct coffin or casket and check for serviceability and correct preparation, including appropriately engraved name plate, special handles or customising and accessories. 1.4 Identify and assess considerations for encoffining the deceased person. 1.5 Check identity of the deceased person against nameplate and encoffining instructions. |
2. Encoffin the deceased person. | 2.1 Apply manual handling procedures to lift the deceased person into coffin or casket. 2.2 Arrange the deceased person in coffin or casket according to work instructions and social, religious or cultural requirements. 2.3 Undertake final check of presentation and arrangement of the deceased person and make adjustments as required. 2.4 Seal or close coffin or casket according to work instructions. 2.5 Secure nameplate and trimming accessories and undertake final check for presentation and accuracy. |
3. Clean up. | 3.1 Dispose of waste material according to workplace policies and procedures. 3.2 Clean and store instruments and equipment according to workplace policies and procedures. |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence of the ability to:
identify and correctly encoffin a deceased person safely and appropriately according to work health and safety/occupational health and safety procedures and work instructions
apply safe manual handling techniques in lifting the deceased.
Evidence of performance of encoffining deceased persons on two or more occasions is required to demonstrate consistency of performance and ability to respond to different situations.
Evidence of Knowledge
Demonstrated knowledge of:
instruments and equipment used for encoffining deceased persons, including mechanical and manual lifting devices
use and maintenance of personal protective equipment
considerations required for encoffining, including:
general body condition
type of coffin or casket
size and weight of the deceased person
place of viewing
full body or partial viewing
social, cultural and religious requirements
manual handling procedures for the following:
single person lift
multiple person lift
assisted with mechanical lifting device
assisted with manual lifting device
federal, state or territory, and local government legislation and regulations that impact on encoffining deceased persons including work health and safety/occupational health and safety, infection control and handling human remains
workplace policies and procedures in regard to encoffining deceased persons
funeral services industry parameters and protocols when dealing with the deceased.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated in a funeral home or mortuary workplace:
using suitable equipment and resources, including:
deceased bodies
coffins and caskets, encoffining equipment and personal protective equipment
under industry operating conditions where there is:
integration of tasks with possible interruptions to work typical of the job role
speed and timing requirements that reflect commercial operating conditions
Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Sectors
Embalming
Competency Field
Mortuary Work and Embalming