Application
This unit applies to funeral home and mortuary staff and involves supervising the work of others according to defined workplace procedures. | |
Prerequisites
Nil | |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA | ||
1 | Identify and apply procedural knowledge to the operation of a mortuary. | 1.1 | Identify duties and responsibilities of mortuary personnel. |
1.2 | Identify mortuary procedures and body preparation procedures and communicate to staff according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. | ||
1.3 | Identify social, religious and cultural requirements for handling, preparing and embalming deceased persons and communicate to staff according to workplace policies and procedures. | ||
1.4 | Identify mortuary OHS procedures and infection control practices and communicate to staff according to workplace policies and relevant legislation. | ||
2 | Oversee mortuary scheduling and operations. | 2.1 | Monitor mortuary schedules and assist staff to resolve scheduling difficulties and contingencies. |
2.2 | Monitor application of mortuary procedures and address inconsistencies according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. | ||
2.3 | Monitor application of body preparation procedures and address inconsistencies according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. | ||
2.4 | Recommend changes to practices and procedures to appropriate personnel according to workplace policies and procedures. |
Required Skills
Required skills planning and organisational skills to source procedural knowledge and monitor mortuary schedules communication skills, including clear and direct communication and active listening and questioning techniques, to advise staff of mortuary and body preparation procedures and negotiate resolution of scheduling difficulties problem-solving skills to identify and resolve scheduling difficulties and inconsistencies in practices literacy and numeracy skills to interpret procedures and mortuary schedules. |
Required knowledge mortuary operations relevant workplace policies and procedures social, religious and cultural differences and traditions funeral services industry parameters and protocols for dealing with the deceased and the bereaved in-depth knowledge of relevant federal, state or territory, and local government legislation and regulations relating to mortuary operations, OHS, infection control and handling human remains. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: ability to identify roles of mortuary personnel and relevant mortuary and body preparation procedures and practices and communicate this information to staff ongoing monitoring staff application of relevant procedures and identification and correction of inconsistencies knowledge of all body preparation procedures, infection control practices and safe manual handling techniques supervising mortuary operations over a period of time to ensure consistency of performance and ability to respond to and evaluate different situations. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure: demonstration of skills in a mortuary facility where deceased bodies may be safely prepared and all mortuary operating procedures can be implemented, monitored and managed interaction with mortuary personnel access to relevant documentation, such as mortuary schedules. |
Methods of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of candidate communicating relevant policies and procedures to staff observation of candidate monitoring mortuary schedules and assisting staff to address difficulties written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge of OHS and infection control procedures and practices review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: SIFOHS005A Implement and monitor infection and contamination control practices. |
Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Mortuary personnel may include: | transfer workers embalmer embalmer's assistant mortuary technician other mortuary staff. |
Mortuary procedures may include: | mortuary access receiving deceased persons releasing deceased persons infection control practices accident procedures. |
Body preparation procedures may include: | use and maintenance of personal protective equipment use and maintenance of instruments and equipment infection control practices. |
Workplace policies and procedures may be verbal or written and may include: | communication procedures OHS procedures standard operating policies and procedures standards and certification requirements quality assurance procedures emergency procedures, including fire and accident procedures security procedures. |
Relevant legislation and regulations may include: | OHS Anatomy Act Human Tissue Act Skin Penetration Act Coroner's Act Public Health Act Environment Protection Act local government regulations funeral services industry code of practice Worksafe Australia certification and standards. |
Social, religious and cultural requirements may include: | gender of body preparation personnel time required between death and burial or cremation orientation of the deceased person restrictions on methods of body preparation permissible. |
Contingencies may include: | lack of staff power failures. |
Inconsistencies may include: | incomplete practices incorrect practices incorrect use of equipment. |
Sectors
Sector | Funeral Services |
Competency Field
Mortuary Work and Embalming | |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. | |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.