Funeral Establishment and Embalming Facility Standards, Equipment, and Sanitation
Physical plant
A licensed funeral establishment must have an identifiable address, a secure area for receiving and holding remains, privacy for arrangement conferences, and a preparation room if embalming occurs on site. The preparation room needs impervious, cleanable surfaces; hot and cold running water; handwashing; adequate drainage; ventilation that removes fumes; good lighting; an embalming table; instruments; sanitizers; and approved containers for waste. If remains are held, refrigeration or embalming capacity must be adequate.
Sanitation and operations
Clean and disinfect the preparation room after each case; use personal protective equipment; handle blood and body fluids as potentially infectious; keep instruments cleaned and stored; dispose of sharps and waste lawfully; keep the facility free of pests; separate clean and contaminated items. A separate embalming facility must meet the same standards as an on-site preparation room. The Board may inspect during business hours; licenses and inspection records must be available.
Worked example
A funeral home advertises 'on-site embalming,' but its preparation room has a carpeted floor, a household sink, and no ventilation. Reasoning: the advertising is a representation that triggers inspection, and the room fails sanitation standards. The firm must stop embalming there until the room is upgraded or use a licensed embalming facility with disclosure and proper transport.
Traps
Assuming any back room qualifies; embalming in a garage or residence; lacking refrigeration; failing to document cleaning; assuming a separate embalming facility need not be licensed; storing remains in an unsecured area.