The
Cremation Process: Step By Step
The information in this
leaflet is intended to help you more fully understand what occurs
in the cremation process. The steps are detailed and should be carefully
considered. Please note that this leaflet has been prepared on a
general informational basis. Because of variations in state/provincial
and local laws, there may be some difference in legal requirements.
Before
Cremation Takes Place
- Any scheduled ceremonies,
rites of passage or viewings have been completed.
- All authorization
forms and permits must be completed and signed.
- The funeral director
or cremation provider should be made aware if the decedent has
a pacemaker, prosthesis or any other mechanical or radioactive
devices or implants as they may have to be removed prior to cremation.
If such devices or implants should have been removed and were
not, then the person(s) authorizing the cremation will be responsible
for any damages caused to the crematory or crematory personnel
by such devices or implants. The funeral director or cremation
provider should also be made aware if the decedent was recently
treated with any radioactive medication.
- All personal possessions
or valuable materials, such as jewelry or dental gold, if so desired,
should be removed by you or your designated agent prior to the
time the decedent is transported to the crematory. Due to the
nature of the cremation process, any materials not removed from
the casket/container prior to cremation will be destroyed, or
if not destroyed, will be disposed of by the crematory in a non-recoverable
manner in accordance with applicable laws.
- Most crematories require
the body be cremated in a combustible, leakproof, rigid, covered
container, if a casket is not being used.
- Non-combustible materials
on caskets, such as decorative handles or rails, latches, etc.,
which could cause damage to the cremation equipment, may be removed
prior to the cremation and disposed of by the crematory in a non-recoverable
manner. Some states/provinces and some crematories do not allow
metal caskets to be used in cremation. If a metal casket is used,
the remnants of the metal casket shell, following the cremation,
will be disposed of by the crematory in a non-recoverable manner.
Depending on state/provincial
and local laws, there may be a waiting period of up to 48 hours
from the time of death before the human remains may be cremated.
The crematory must be notified if anyone wishes to witness the casket/
container being placed in the cremation chamber. Not all crematories
offer this service. If witnessing is offered, the crematory may
require a waiver or hold-harmless agreement to be signed to protect
it from any liability.
The crematory should be provided with an urn in which the cremated
remains will be placed. If no urn is provided or the urn is not
large enough to hold all the remains, the crematory will place the
remains or any excess in a container made of plastic, light metal,
cardboard, unfinished wood, or other suitable material to hold the
remains until an urn is acquired or the cremated remains are scattered.
The
Cremation: Processing of the Remains
- All cremations are
performed individually. Exceptions can be made only in the case
of close relatives, and then only with the prior written instructions
of the authorizing agent(s) and only if state/provincial or local
laws allow this.
- The cremation process
begins with the placement of the casket/container in the cremation
chamber where it is subjected to intense heat and flame reaching
temperatures between 1400 and 1800 degrees fahrenheit. All substances
are consumed except bone fragments (calcium compounds) and any
non-combustible materials, such as jewelry, dental gold, prosthesis,
latches, hinges, etc., that were not removed prior to cremation
as the temperature is not sufficient to consume them.
- During the cremation
process it may be necessary to open the cremation chamber and
reposition the deceased in order to facilitate a complete and
thorough cremation.
- The time for cremation
to be completed varies with the size and weight of each human
remains but usually takes between 1½ to 3 hours.
- Following a cooling
period, the cremated remains are then swept or raked from the
cremation chamber. Every effort is made to remove all human remains.
However, a small residue may remain in the cremation chamber,
resulting in incidental commingling with other cremated remains.
- After the cremated
remains are removed from the cremation chamber, all non-combustible
materials that have not been removed prior to cremation, will
be separated and removed from the bone fragments by visible or
magnetic selection and will be disposed of by the crematory in
a non-recoverable manner.
- Once the bone fragments
have been separated from the other material, they may be further
processed to reduce the size of the bone fragments to uniform
particles.
- Cremated remains,
depending on the bone structure of the decedent, will weigh between
4 to 8 pounds, and are usually white in color, but can be other
colors due to temperature variations and other factors.
The crematory should
be provided with an urn in which the cremated remains will be placed.
If no urn is provided or the urn is not large enough to hold all
the remains, the crematory will place the remains or any excess
in a container made of plastic, light metal, cardboard, unfinished
wood, or other suitable material to hold the remains until an urn
is acquired or the cremated remains are scattered.
After
The Cremation Has Been Completed
The urn or the container
containing the cremated remains will be returned to you or the individual,
cemetery or funeral home you have designated on the cremation authorization
form.
If you and/or other
family members have not already decided on the final resting place
for the cremated remains, you may wish to consult the professional
who assisted you on the many options available. These options include...
- placement of the urn
containing the cremated remains in an indoor or outdoor mausoleum
or columbarium
- interment of the
urn containing the cremated remains in a family burial plot or
in a special urn garden that many cemeteries provide for cremated
remains
- scattering of the
cremated remains in a cemetery garden especially created and dedicated
for this purpose
- scattering the remains
at sea or on land in accordance with state/provincial or local
laws.(If scattering is done, you may wish to choose a site for
a permanent memorial, such as placing the name of the deceased
in a Book of Remembrance or on a plaque for a special location,
or planting a tree in remembrance. Any of these will provide a
place of pilgrimage for those who want to remember and celebrate
the life of the loved one.)
- the urn may, of course,
be taken to the home of a loved one, but plans should be made
for an eventual permanent resting place.
*This pamphlet is posted with permission from http://www.cremationassociation.org
Prepared by the Cremation Association of North America,
401 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611, 312/245-1077,
for use by its members
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