Information for funeral directors

These pages are for funeral directors to find information about our policies and practices at Woodvale Crematorium.

Conduct

The cremation of a human body is a highly emotional occasion for those taking part in the service. This must never be forgotten by the staff of the Crematorium, who must combine to create and maintain an atmosphere of reverence and respect throughout the entire proceedings.

Staff

The greatest care must be taken in the appointment of members of the Crematorium staff, any one of whom may, by conduct or demeanour, detract from the atmosphere of reverence which it is endeavoured to create. All staff employed in the operation of cremators must be suitably trained in the technical and ethical procedures and certificated as specified in the Secretary of State’s Guidance Notes of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or any subsequent legislation made thereunder.

After Committal

• (a) A body shall not be removed from the Crematorium after the Service of Committal except for a lawful purpose.
• (b) Subject to receiving the necessary Authority to Cremate, the coffin and its contents shall be put into the cremator, as soon as practicable, exactly as they have been received on the catafalque. A body not cremated on the same day as the coffin is received at the Crematorium may only be retained on the written consent of the Applicant for cremation and in circumstances deemed necessary by the Cremation Authority, including impacts on the environment. All bodies retained at the crematorium will be accommodated in secure and sanitary conditions within the building.
• (c) Once a coffin with its contents has been placed in the cremator, it shall not be interfered with until the process of cremation is completed. On completion the whole of the Cremated Remains shall be collected and, following their reduction, shall be disposed of in accordance with the instructions received.

Correct Identity

• a) No coffin shall be accepted at any crematorium unless it bears adequate particulars of the identity of the deceased person contained therein. If a coffin is encased, the cover and the coffin must bear adequate identity of the deceased person.
• (b) Every care must be taken to ensure correct identification throughout the whole proceedings from the moment the coffin is received on to the catafalque until the final disposal of the Cremated Remains.

Separately Cremated

Each coffin given to the care of the Cremation Authority shall be cremated separately.

Coffin Covers

When a re-usable cover is used to encase a coffin, a signed authority must be given by the Applicant for the cremation authorising its use and consenting to its subsequent removal from the Crematorium.

Metal Residues

Any metal found amongst the Cremated Remains shall be disposed of in accordance with the directions of the Cremation Authority or Higher Authority.

Cremated Remains

The utmost care shall be taken to ensure that the Cremated Remains, following their removal from the cremator shall be kept separate and suitably identified. The Cremated Remains shall be placed in a separate container awaiting final disposal. If the Cremated Remains are to be disposed of in a Garden of Remembrance, this shall be conducted with reverence and respect. Cremated Remains to be conveyed by a carrier service should be placed in a suitably labelled robust container and dealt with according to recommendations laid down by the Federation of British Cremation Authorities.

Cremator and Ancillary Equipment

Cremators and all other ancillary equipment used in the Crematorium shall be kept in good repair and maintained in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations and the requirements of current Guidance Notes issued under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or subsequent legislation.

Statutory Regulations

All cremations shall be carried out according to the provisions of the Cremation Acts and the Regulations made thereunder and any subsequent legislation.

Brighton & Hove City Council is a Member of the Federation of British Cremation Authorities and strictly adheres to this Code of Cremation Practice in the management of Woodvale (Brighton & Hove) Crematorium.

Woodvale Crematorium is committed to the sensitive and respectful care of all of those entrusted to us. Our policies and processes for infant cremation are aligned to the latest guidance on Infant Cremation, as per the recommendations of Lord Bonomy’s Infant Cremation Commission (June 2014 Scotland). Full statement here.

In accordance with this guidance, which is fully supported by the national representative bodies, the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA), the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), the Cremation Society of Great Britain (CSGB) and the Association of Private Crematoria and Cemeteries (APCC) our ashes policy is set out below:

Definition of ashes

In line with Lord Bonomy’s recommendations Woodvale Crematorium considers cremated remains and ashes to be one and the same thing and supports the commission’s definition that ashes are “all that is left in the cremator at the end of the cremation process, and following the removal of any metal.”

Return of ashes

Our approach to the cremation of babies and infants is designed to maximise the recovery of ashes. This includes the use of a cremation tray designed to retain ashes where practicable, and the maintenance of operational conditions that will minimise the loss of any ashes during the process of cremation. 

We will employ best practice e.g. the use of specialist computer programmes and metal trays and our staff will be vigilant during the cremation process and if appropriate will adjust operational conditions when necessary in order to protect the ashes of babies and infants and maximise their recovery. 

We are confident that the equipment and processes adopted for infant cremation at Woodvale maximise the likelihood of recovering ashes. In any rare instance of non-recovery of ashes, we will conduct a review of the cremation process within 48 hours to understand why this is the case. The results of this review will be documented and contain details of any adjustments of our procedure deemed to be necessary, and will be available to next of kin/parent(s) if they wish to view these. We will adhere to our identification procedure that guarantees that the ashes resulting from individual cremations returned to parents are those of their baby.

Shared cremations

Where a shared cremation has been authorised, and hence ashes are not individually identifiable, we will take the same care throughout the cremation process, including steps to maximise the recovery of ashes, and will scatter/bury the ashes within the crematorium’s designated area. The location will be recorded for future reference.

Disposal of Ashes 

In relation to the disposal of ashes in the case of a private cremation, Woodvale Crematorium will only act upon the written instruction of the parent who is acting as the Applicant for Cremation or other person nominated in writing by the parent. 

In the case of shared cremations we will only act on the written instruction of the designated person at the relevant hospital, who is acting as the Applicant

Ashes will be held at the crematorium for up to 6 weeks to await collection by representatives or instructions as to their disposal.  Where no further instructions have been received within the six week period, a further fourteen days’ notice will be given in writing to the Applicant, following which the ashes will be scattered or buried within the grounds of the crematorium should no further instructions have been received.

Disposal of Metals – The applicant should give consent for disposal of metals recovered from an individual cremation and must be provided with information on the options available. 

Record-Keeping 

All cremations of babies and infants will be registered at the crematorium, with all information as contained in forms and certificates being retained indefinitely (This may be in electronic form). 

If ashes are scattered or buried within the grounds of the crematorium the final resting place will be recorded. Where ashes are to be collected, the details of any person authorised by the applicant to remove/collect the ashes, and the date on which the ashes were collected will be recorded. 

The policy of this Cremation Authority is designed to provide an audit trail from the receipt of initial funeral instructions to the final disposal of ashes, either by collection from the crematorium or by scattering or burial within the confines of the Gardens of Remembrance or other such designated area.

Questions or Queries 

If you have any questions or queries about the cremation of your baby, you can speak to Helen Touray at Woodvale Lodge, Lewes Road, Brighton
 

Recycling of metals at Woodvale

Many people who are cremated will have had an orthopaedic implant provided during their lifetime and surviving family and friends may be concerned about what happens to it following a cremation.

For many years it was normal practice to remove the implant from the cremated remains and store it at the crematorium until there was a sufficient amount of metal to bury it in the grounds of the Remembrance Garden at Woodvale.

As environmental issues are now more important to people, this method of disposal has become less acceptable and like many other crematoria in the UK and on the Continent, any metal residue found amongst the cremated remains will be recycled, unless the Applicant for Cremation wishes to make alternative arrangements.

After cremation, any metals present will be removed from the cremated remains and temporarily retained at the crematorium. Periodically, all metal recovered will be collected and taken to a central point within the UK for recycling.

The collected materials will include orthopaedic implants and ferrous metals, mainly nails used in the manufacture of the coffin, and may also include an unrecognisable element of precious metal.

These soft precious metals, such as gold and silver, melt into very small globules following cremation and are not identifiable. In these circumstances it is not possible to return these metals to the applicant separately.

It is recommended that any precious metals in the form of jewellery are retained by the Applicant for Cremation and not cremated with the deceased.

The metals used for implants are special medical grade stainless steel, titanium and cobalt chrome, which are all produced from non-renewable resources. In the future, these resources will become depleted and such metals will become less available for operations.

Therefore, this recycling scheme helps to protect the environment as well as saving resources and providing potential benefits for the living.

The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) has contracted OrthoMetals, a specialist company, to undertake the collection and recycling of metals on a noncommercial basis. Any surplus monies derived from the nationwide scheme will be distributed to selected UK bereavement related Charities, such as Cancer Research and the Heart Foundation with confirmation from such Charities posted on the ICCM website. 

Any metals recovered form part of a deceased person’s estate and the Executor may, therefore, wish to dispose of the metals in an alternative manner. If the Applicant for Cremation does not wish the metals to be recycled then a Form of Consent will need to be completed, prior to the cremation proceeding, which provides alternative options.

Arrangements can be made for the metals to be returned to the Applicant for Cremation or, if appropriate, the metals may be returned to the applicant with the cremated remains. If this second option is preferred, then the cremated remains cannot be strewn.

A coffin cover is a temporary outer cover (a shell), which is used to encase the actual coffin to be cremated at Woodvale. Following the funeral service and prior to the actual cremation process commencing, the coffin cover is removed in the Crematory and, when practical to do so, is returned to the funeral director. The remaining coffin and its contents are subsequently cremated.

The coffin covers normally have the visual appearance of a traditional dignified casket, with an enhanced appearance. Inside this shell there is a practical internal coffin, which is removed and cremated without disturbing the deceased person.

In accordance with guidelines, provided by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) of which organisation Brighton & Hove City Council is a member, Woodvale Crematorium will accept an outer cover to encase a coffin, provided that the following guidelines are complied with.

• Prior notice of at least 24 hours should be given by the funeral director when a cover is to be used.
• A signed authority must be given by the Applicant for the cremation authorising the use of the cover and consenting to its subsequent removal from the crematorium.
• Both the cover and the coffin must bear adequate identity of the deceased person contained therein.
• The staff at Woodvale must be satisfied, by prior inspection if necessary, that the cover is designed in such a way that prevents the possibility of damage being caused to the coffin or accident or injury to staff.
• Consideration should be given to the cover’s dimensions, in particular the width, including any handles, so as to ensure that it can pass through the catafalque aperture in the service chapels.
• The coffin should have sufficient strength and rigidity not only to contain the body but also to withstand the rigours involved when it is placed into a cremator.
• Although every care will be taken, Woodvale cannot accept any responsibility for any damage to the cover howsoever caused.
• The funeral director must provide sufficient staff for the collection of the cover, which should be at a time and in a manner agreed with the staff at Woodvale.

Natural death

• Form Cremation 1 - Application for cremation of the body of a person who has died (replacing Form A)
• Form Cremation 4 - Medical certificate (replacing Form B)
• Form Cremation 5 - Confirmatory medical certificate (replacing Form C)
• Registration document (disposal certificate issued by Registrar of Births and Deaths after registration)
• Form Cremation 10 - Authorisation of cremation of deceased person by medical referee* (replacing Form F)

Coroner’s enquiry

• Form Cremation 1 - Application for cremation of the body of a person who has died (replacing Form A)
• Form Cremation 6 - Certificate of coroner (replacing form E)
• Form Cremation 10 - Authorisation of cremation of deceased person by medical referee* (replacing Form F)

Stillbirth

• Form Cremation 3 - Application for cremation of stillborn baby  Form Cremation 9 - Certificate of stillbirth  Registration document (disposal certificate issued by Registrar of Births and Deaths after registration)
• Form Cremation 13 - Authorisation of cremation of stillborn child by medical referee*

Body parts

• Form Cremation 2 - Application for cremation of body parts (replacing form AA)
• Form Cremation 8 - Certificate releasing body parts for cremation (replacing form DD)  Form Cremation 12 - Authorisation of cremation of body parts by medical referee* (replacing form FF)

Foetal remains

• Application for cremation of foetal remains  Certificate of medical practitioner or midwife in respect of foetal remains
• Form Cremation 10 - Authorisation of cremation of deceased person by medical referee* (replacing Form F)

Death abroad

• Form Cremation 1 - Application for cremation of the body of a person who has died (replacing Form A)
• Form Cremation 6 - Certificate of coroner (replacing form E)
• Form Cremation 10 - Authorisation of cremation of deceased person by medical referee* (replacing Form F)

Post-mortem examination (not subject to Coroner’s enquiry)

• Form Cremation 1 - Application for cremation of the body of a person who has died (replacing Form A)
• Form Cremation 11 - Certificate after post-mortem examination (replacing Form D)
• Registration document (disposal certificate issued by Registrar of Births and Deaths after registration)
• Form Cremation 10 - Authorisation of cremation of deceased person by medical referee* (replacing Form F)

(note: for use when the normal medical attendant is unable to complete Form Cremation 4 or at the request of the Medical Referee)

Anatomical research body donation

• Form Cremation 1 - Application for cremation of the body of a person who has died (replacing Form A)
• Form Cremation 7 - Certificate following anatomical examination (replacing Form H)
• Registration document (disposal certificate issued by Registrar of Births and Deaths after registration)
• Form Cremation 10 - Authorisation of cremation of deceased person by medical referee* (replacing Form F)

(note: in many cases the old Form A would have been completed on receipt of the deceased at the time of delivery to the school of anatomy, which could have been several years ago. A new Form Cremation 1 must be completed by the head of the school or other appropriate person and attached to the old Form A as evidence of the consent of the executor or nearest surviving relative and as supporting evidence for the Medical Referee)