Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to oversee mortuary operations and ensure that the mortuary environment remains hygienic and secure. It applies to supervisory funeral home and mortuary staff who monitor the implementation of mortuary body preparation procedures, ensuring that all work is carried out 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. Apply procedural knowledge to the operation of a mortuary. | 1.1 Become familiar with duties and responsibilities of mortuary staff. 1.2 Identify mortuary procedures and body preparation procedures, including identification checks. 1.3 Recognise social, religious and cultural requirements for handling, preparing and embalming deceased persons. 1.4 Establish mortuary work health and safety procedures and infection control practices. 1.5 Communicate mortuary procedures and practices to staff as appropriate. |
2. Oversee mortuary scheduling and operations. | 2.1 Supervise mortuary schedules and assist staff to resolve scheduling difficulties and contingencies. 2.2 Monitor application of mortuary procedures and address inconsistencies. 2.3 Administer application of body preparation procedures and address inconsistencies. 2.4 Communicate recommended changes to practices and procedures to appropriate personnel. |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence of the ability to:
identify roles of mortuary personnel and relevant mortuary and body preparation procedures and practices and communicate this information to staff
monitor staff application of relevant procedures and identification and correction of inconsistencies on an ongoing basis.
Evidence of performance of supervising mortuary operations for two or more different cases is required to demonstrate consistency of performance and ability to respond to different situations.
Evidence of Knowledge
Demonstrated knowledge of:
responsibilities of mortuary personnel, including:
transfer workers
embalmer
embalmer’s assistant
mortuary technician
other mortuary staff
workplace policies and procedures for supervising mortuary operations, including:
mortuary access
receiving and releasing deceased persons, ensuring identification checks take place
body preparation:
use and maintenance of personal protective equipment
use and maintenance of instruments and equipment
infection control practices
effective communication strategies for:
informing staff of policies and procedures
monitoring work schedules and dealing with incomplete or incorrect practices
assisting staff to resolve mortuary operation contingences, including staff availability and power failures
recommending changes to practices to appropriate personnel
federal, state or territory, and local government legislation and regulations relating to transfer documentation, work health and safety/occupational health and safety, infection control and handling human remains
environmental impacts regarding mortuary operations and minimal impact practices to reduce these
funeral services industry parameters and protocols for dealing with the deceased, including respect for social, religious and cultural differences and traditions.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated in a mortuary workplace:
using suitable equipment and resources, including:
mortuary schedules
mortuary 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
interaction with team members
As well as satisfying the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements, assessors must also hold formal qualifications as an embalmer.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed below:
Learning skills to interpret mortuary procedures.
Problem
Planning and organisational skills to monitor mortuary schedules.
Sectors
Embalming
Competency Field
Mortuary Work and Embalming