Application
This unit applies to funeral home staff who may or may not be embalmers and involves working autonomously with a high level of responsibility. | |
Prerequisites
Nil | |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA | ||
1 | Complete documentation requirements for body preparation. | 1.1 | Obtain completed documentation and authorisations from family prior to undertaking body preparation. |
1.2 | Obtain mortuary order for final disposition and facial considerations according to workplace policies and procedures. | ||
1.3 | Complete receipts and other documents according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. | ||
2 | Identify body preparation requirements. | 2.1 | Review documentation to identify required extent of body preparation for each case and any specific social, cultural and religious requirements. |
2.2 | Liaise with relevant personnel to clarify any questions regarding extent of body preparation required. | ||
2.3 | Identify specific instruments, apparatus and materials required to perform body preparation. | ||
3 | Prepare mortuary room and equipment. | 3.1 | Monitor and maintain appropriate mortuary ventilation and plumbing requirements according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. |
3.2 | Identify, access and maintain adequate light source according to workplace policies and procedures. | ||
3.3 | Prepare mortuary room according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. | ||
3.4 | Assemble and prepare body preparation instruments, apparatus and materials according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. | ||
3.5 | Prepare and use personal protective equipment according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. |
Required Skills
Required skills literacy and numeracy skills to identify, review and complete relevant documentation organisational skills to identify and prepare required facilities, instruments, apparatus and materials communication skills, including clear and direct communication to clarify body preparation requirements. |
Required knowledge workplace policies and procedures for use and preparation of mortuary facilities, instruments, apparatus and materials legislation relevant to safe performance of body preparation procedures mortuary facility requirements infection control practices documentation requirements funeral services industry parameters and protocols for dealing with the deceased broad working knowledge of relevant federal, state or territory, and local government legislation and regulations relating to documentation, OHS, infection control and handling human remains. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: ability to complete documentation requirements prior to undertaking body preparation, identify general body preparation requirements for each case and prepare the mortuary and required instruments accordingly the selection , of correct instruments, apparatus and materials knowledge of infection control practices determining body preparation requirements on multiple occasions to ensure consistency of performance and ability to respond to and evaluate different situations. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure: demonstration of skills in a mortuary facility where deceased bodies may be safely prepared and appropriate mortuary lighting, plumbing and ventilation requirements can be monitored and maintained access to body preparation tools, apparatus and materials access to relevant documentation access to personal protective equipment. |
Methods of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of candidate monitoring and maintaining mortuary facilities, tools, apparatus and materials review of workplace documents completed by candidate review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: SIFMWK006A Cleanse and disinfect deceased bodies. |
Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Documentation may include: | authorisation for basic mortuary preparation and embalming signed medical certificate waterproof identification tag fixed securely to body list of personal property, including clothing and shoes for dressing the deceased receipts for jewellery and other valuables special instructions for body preparation and presentation schedule for viewing or funeral booking. |
Workplace policies and procedures may include: | standard operating policies and procedures standards and certification requirements quality assurance procedures OHS procedures, including: infection control manual handling material handling procedures, including hazardous or infectious materials emergency procedures, including fire and accident procedures security procedures. |
Relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice may include: | OHS Anatomy Act Human Tissue Act Skin Penetration Act Coroner's Act federal transportation regulations Airlines Act Public Health Act Environment Protection Act approved code of practice for embalmers local government regulations funeral services industry code of practice cemetery Acts and by-laws Crematorium Acts Worksafe Australia certification and standards. |
Extent of body preparation may include: | basic cleansing and disinfecting basic preparation for viewing by family temporary restoration and preservation of autopsied bodies temporary restoration and preservation of non-autopsied bodies permanent restoration and preservation of autopsied bodies for repatriation permanent restoration and preservation of non-autopsied bodies for repatriation. |
Social, cultural and religious requirements may include: | funeral and mourning dress standards gender of body preparation personnel time required between death and burial or cremation orientation of the deceased person restrictions on methods of body preparation permissible. |
Relevant personnel may include: | funeral arranger funeral assistant funeral director other mortuary worker. |
Instruments, apparatus and materials may include: | personal protective equipment positioning devices sterilisation equipment sterilisation chemicals and solutions portiboy feature setting devices instruments and instrument tray dressing table aspirating instruments and tubing for aspirating or injecting electric drill or grinder disinfectant hand solution, paper towels and soap body grooming equipment plastic laundry bags plastic infectious waste bags biomedical waste containers for infectious and radioactive human tissue pedestal lamps linen flow meter first aid kit packs of padding cotton packer plastic sheeting for wrapping bodies waterproof tape capsules for transporting babies aneurysm needle bistoury knife scalpels scissors separators suture needles needle holder forceps injection instruments, including: gravity and bulb syringe arterial tube hand pump parietal needle centrifugal pump stopcock Y tube embalming machine drainage instruments, including: drain tube iliac drain tube grooved director angular spring forceps electric or motorised aspirating instruments, including: autopsy aspirator hydroaspirator nasal tube aspirator trocar hydrovalve trocar cavity fluid injectors trocar buttons and applicator. |
Personal protective equipment may include: | disposable gloves heavy duty gloves barrier gown or suit waterproof overshoes waterproof aprons splash proof masks eye goggles face visor hair cover filtered air supply: negative air pressure powered positive air supply. |
Sectors
Sector | Funeral Services |
Competency Field
Mortuary Work and Embalming | |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. | |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.