Crematorium Technician here

[CodLiverOil556]

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.

@olderthanyouthink what is the BBC Iplayer documentary called? I've been frantically looking for it for 10 minutes

@olderthanyouthink the bit of brain came in a white cardboard box with the persons name and hospital number on for ID purposes.

@MiggledyHiggins that's about it in a nutshell

@KittenBeast that's an American and it's a lot different to the way we do things.

This is so interesting. Like Spaghetti, I'm Irish and burials are still very much the norm there, so I've only been to one cremation which was in England and I didn't know much about them.
I agree that you should be much better paid. It must be a tough job.
Is there as much of a wait for cremations as there seems to be for burials in England/GB? At home you are almost always buried on the third day, but I've noticed that over here there can be weeks, even months in between death and the funeral. Why is that?

Fascinating thread that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading, thank you so much Ilovekermit for starting it and answering so many questions. You definitely deserve better pay (but then so do many of us!).

I talked to the deceased I have worked with (Nursing student), it feels normal to me and to say goodbye, use their name etc. Lovely to know the care and attention continues through the process.

We definitely need to be more open about discussing what happens after death as the mystery makes it more frightening for people. The last time I had a patient die the relatives were really anxious about what happens, how they leave the hospital and where they go etc. Answering as much as I could really seemed to help them, I would love to visit the mortuary and see the other side of that process... Morbid perhaps.

You can book to have a look round your local council Crematorium if you have one. I recommend you do as it can be very reassuring especially for someone who is arranging their own funeral as I once did. She had a terminal illness and wanted to see what would happen to her. I showed her round then cremated her about 2 months later...I felt a special bond with her

@HolyShmoly it tends to be the paperwork side of things that holds a funeral up. Doctors are sometimes slow to sign the forms, families can't decide what to do and sometimes the coroner is involved.

@readyforapummelling sorry! Obesity:the post mortem

DH is an engineer for a specialist company that manufactures and services dust/fume extraction equipment. He has visited a number of crematoria to service such equipment, which ensures that no cremation particles are released into the atmosphere. He has always said how very respectful the crematoria staff he has met are. Very much like Kermit.

Regarding hip relacements, metal joint pins etc. I think everywhere he has been the metal is collected and sold as scrap and the proceeds are donated to a nominated charity such as a local hospice. He was a bit taken aback to see them all piled up together in a box but impressed that even after death people and their loved ones are still helping others even though they probably don't realise it.

Great thread OP, very informative.

On the subject of direct cremation, is it really necessary to use a funeral director?

What if a family asked to deliver their deceased loved one to the crem themselves, no service, just to hand over to be cremated, and take care of all paperwork etc.

Would this be permitted or are there all sorts of health and safety reasons why it cannot happen?

@FrogFairy absolutely. There is a company that you can do just this whereby you pay over the phone they sort everything out for you. They bring the deceased to us we cremate them then they take the ashes back to the family. You would need to sign the forms though although I think they're becoming electronic shortly

Such an interesting thread, thank you. I didn't realise that the ashes were really just bones and nothing else.

I have also done a DIY funeral whereby the family turned up with deceased in the back of a transit van(!) we took the deceased into our care cremated them and they collected the ashes the next day.

No need for funeral director, hearse or minister

@Kermit I know, and I really am sorry if my post seemed offensive, (that video made it seem like they didn't much care, didn't it?) but I was looking at the body itself after cremation does it much differ in the UK?

Yes, I have seen a couple of websites offering this but I meant for the family to do everything hands on themselves including delivering the body say in a van or estate car.

Logically I can think of many reasons why it is probably not a good idea but just curious if it would be permitted for Joe Public to book a cremation and bring the remains to you themselves.

I am torn between thinking nooooo, to thinking well, why not?

@KittenBeast yes that is what we're looking for when a cremation is finished.

Hi @ILoveKermit. Really interesting thread, thank you!

I have a question - If I do not want a funeral/expensive coffin/any kind of ceremony whatsoever, can I specify in my will that my body is to go straight to the cremator in a cardboard box or similar to be destroyed, with only the involvement of the technicians - no minister or family present etc?

@FrogFairy please see my post above about the diy funeral. As long as the forms are completed properly for example the doctors have signed where they should then there is no reason why joe public couldn't do it theirselves.

It would be worth seeing the hospital mortician to see if they would pop the deceased into a coffin as we couldn't accept anyone not in a coffin and the coffin would have to be of a sound, combustible nature.

@Kermit, gosh, I always thought it was just dust. This has been a really interesting thread.

@ScreamingValenta you can do a prepaid plan whereby the funeral director complies with your wishes and when the time comes your family wouldn't even need to be involved

Fascinating thread thank you.
I’m orthodox Jewish by birth but am an atheist and cultural Jew only. My brothers and I will be the first generation of our family to not have a Jewish burial and service. The thing I do like about Jewish burial traditions is a simple hardboard or pine coffin minus any metal parts for everyone regardless of wealth or status. Is a metal free preferably hardboard or el-cheapo wood ok for cremation.

This is fascinating and quite comforting - thank you Kermit.

My mum passed away last Friday and asked to be cremated, so this thread is very timely and reassuring. I'm feeling a lot better about it having read through your responses.

Thank you Kermit, I was too slow typing and had missed the transit van post. I suspect this would be my Dad’s exit of choice when the time comes.

@TheBlackMadonna I've done Jewish cremations and they turned up in a very simple wooden coffin with rope handles and a sticky white label for ID purposes. It seems that el cheapo is absolutely fine and is all we need as long as it's study and combustible

@Kernowgal I'm very sorry to hear about your mum. Please be assured she will be looked after right til the very end.