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Original poster

Crematorium Technician here

686 replies

CodLiverOil556 · 31/05/2018 13:11

I see lots of threads about cremations and Crematoria. I'm currently a crem tech so please ask me questions and I will endeavor to answer them.

OP posts:
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Original poster
CodLiverOil556 · 01/06/2018 22:37

@serendipitintea I think with the poor guy left on the shelf is family couldn't decide then starting dying off themselves so he was forgotten about. We scattered him and said a few words.

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serendipitintea · 01/06/2018 22:35

Thanks OP. It's nice to know people aren't left in a box on a shelf forever Smile

Snooks1971 · 01/06/2018 22:34

Thank you ILoveKermit and thankyou MNHQ for moving this thread to Classics.

Original poster
CodLiverOil556 · 01/06/2018 22:32

@serendipitintea if the deceased has no family then the ashes are scattered quick quickly it's when you have families that can't decide that the ashes tend to hang around.

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frazzled3ds · 01/06/2018 22:32

Foxtrot - it's surgical joints that are removed, so anyone who has has a hip replacement or similar, those are the items removed. Bones are indeed cremulated if I've understood PP and OP correctly.

Original poster
CodLiverOil556 · 01/06/2018 22:30

@FoxtrotSkarloey everything goes into the cremator after cremation is finished everything raked into a hole when it has cooled we remove the big pieces and the rest goes in the cremulator.

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serendipitintea · 01/06/2018 22:24

What happens If the deceased has no family and no one claims them? Do they just sit on a shelf/get stored or do they get buried or scattered by the authorities?

FoxtrotSkarloey · 01/06/2018 22:23

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ.

Original poster
CodLiverOil556 · 01/06/2018 22:21

@FoxtrotSkarloey if they were to go through our cremulator (machine used to ground bones to ash) then it would most certainly break and it's a very expensive piece of machinery. They go off to be recycled or returned to family whichever has been requested.

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MrsDilligaf · 01/06/2018 22:21

Thank you so much for this fascinating thread. I've learnt so much.

And thank you for you kindness towards those in your care and for your patience in answering the questions.

Flowers
FoxtrotSkarloey · 01/06/2018 22:16

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This has been withdrawn by MNHQ.

Original poster
CodLiverOil556 · 01/06/2018 22:11

@Flatteryontheside to be honest when raking it's actually very quick as it's so hot. We're talking temperatures of nearly 1000 degrees so a good crem tech can rake properly in about 1 minute. We sort the bones after they have cooled for about an hour. Hips/knees/big pieces are removed prior to cremulation then a magnet removes the pins/nails/other bits.

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Original poster
CodLiverOil556 · 01/06/2018 22:08

@Newcomer31 we lift the turf and dig a hole then everything is put back exactly as it should. Ashes that have been scattered are brushed into the ground (when the family has left) to stop unsightly piles of ash too. Ashes are actually really bad for soil and plants so the more spread out they are the better

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Original poster
CodLiverOil556 · 01/06/2018 22:05

@MizCracker yes ashes into glass. They're very good

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Original poster
CodLiverOil556 · 01/06/2018 22:03

@alphajuliet123 we keep remains for however long it takes for the family to make up their minds. We had some remains sat on a shelf since 1976 so the manager made the decision one day to scatter.

Yes his body probably would have been slowly cremated as I doubt that temperate would have been constant for 70-90 minutes

OP posts:
Flatteryontheside · 01/06/2018 21:56

So after the cremationhas finished you have to rake the bones for metal? Does that mean you are raking around a skeleton? That must be upsetting?

Newcomer31 · 01/06/2018 21:49

This may not come under your exact line of work but when the ashes are to be buried at the crematorium (like my grandparents) when do they bury them ?
Obviously when the crem is shut but how come you don’t see little mud piles like you would after a church burial ? The ground is so neat.
I love how you speak to them before they go it’s so touching. I remember with my nan the lady at the funeral home said she always popped a flower in each coffin ,and always referred to her women as ‘my ladies’- very soothing for family members thankyou for this thread.

Jux · 01/06/2018 21:36

Thank you, IloveKermit. This is, indeed, a lovely thread. You are so kind to answer all our questions so patiently. Star

Bearlover16 · 01/06/2018 21:34

I have a ring from Ashes into Glass with my Grandads ashes in. I hardly wear it though as it's too special.

I often wondered if the ashes were mainly coffin and bits of bone though? What does the coffin disintegrate to?

Zaphodsotherhead · 01/06/2018 21:30

I've got a paperweight with the ashes of my mum and dad in. It's really pretty, has their names engraved on the bottom and it's useful! It's not weird or horrible, you wouldn't even know what it was unless you knew...the ashes are just sparkly sort of bits on the middle decoration. You can choose what colour you'd like - and it's sort of comforting to know that they are still there, in a way.

Uniquack · 01/06/2018 21:22

This a fascinating thread, thanks OP. I am a bit confused though as to how everyone says ashes are surprisingly heavy. When my mom died a few years ago, my sister and I collected her ashes. They were in a small plastic bag about the size of a sandwich bag, placed inside a wooden box. It weighed almost nothing at all, and there wasn't much of it. I'm now concerned they only gave us a portion of the remains. This wasn't in the UK btw, it was in South Africa.

Geordiegirl1988 · 01/06/2018 21:06

Iv never had a body sit up and if that happened I'd be very freaked out but presume they were not dead . I run a burial ground and have dealt with many deceased and have never came across this . I think I'd run a mile if it did happen. We treat everyone with respect and dignity and I always talk to them whilst preparing them for family .

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 01/06/2018 21:05

Thank you for this thread @ILoveKermit. My DM died last year and was cremated and reading this has put my mind at rest. I just hope she was looked after by someone as caring as you.

When Mum died she was cremated with her false teeth and she also had her dogs ashes with her. We asked the funeral director if the ashes could go with her and they said yes.

MizCracker · 01/06/2018 21:02

Is the jewellery company called Ashes Into Glass, Kermit? They are just down the road from me and I had a necklace made using some of my nan's ashes. We even went to the workshop to see everything being made. They too were so lovely, professional and respectful. Any unused ashes were returned to us - nothing is swept up and binned (tbh I sort of assumed they would!).

Ilikesweetpeas · 01/06/2018 20:58

I’m so glad that this thread has been moved to classics. I’m sure I want a burial but my parents want to be cremated when the time comes and I feel more comfortable with that thought now I’ve read all that you’ve said Kermit. I also had a relative who had a direct cremation recently (his wish) and it really upset me that he was alone. I hope he was looked after by someone like you. Thank you

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