Mortuary & Chapel Assistant

LB204 - Mortuary and Chapel AssistantLocation: CroydonSalary: £24,000Overview:First Military Recruitment are currently seeking a Mortuary and Chapel Assistant on behalf of one of our clients.Our client encourages applications from ex-military personnel however all candidates will be given due consideration.Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensures that all deceased persons are handled and cared for with the utmost care and respect always.
• Accurately record details of all deceased persons in the mortuary register and on display boards. Ensure that all deceased are correctly measured and have an appropriate form of identification.
• Ensures all deceased are accompanied by a deceased tracking form correctly completed by removal staff. Where a deceased is identified as ‘Infectious’, ensure that it is clearly labelled to enable the correct handling procedures to be adopted. Any missing information / discrepancies on trackers or a deceased to be escalated to the Manager when discovered.
• Provides up to date chapel and mortuary list to the Manager by 10:00 each morning and 16:30 each afternoon.
• Keeps a record of planned viewing dates and viewing locations for deceased. Works closely with the Manager to ensure that all deceased are collected at the appropriate time to enable timely embalming prior to scheduled viewing dates.
• Liaise with Funeral Arrangers to ensure that clothes required to dress the deceased prior to viewing are received a minimum of 48hrs before viewing is due to commence.
• Work closely with the Manager to help ensure that any required embalming is carried out no later than 48 hrs before the viewing date. Where this may not be possible, escalate to the Manager so that the Manager can decide if any additional embalming staff may be requested, or viewing delayed as appropriate. Assist the Manager when needed.
• Ensure that the mortuary is always clean and tidy to ensure that the mortuary is always presented to a high standard, and that any chemicals hazardous to human health are correctly labelled and locked away securely when not being used.
• Prepare the deceased for viewing in the chapel of rest ensuring that all dressing is carried out to the highest possible standard. Ensure that deceased is correctly placed in coffin / casket ready for viewing and that chapels are clean, tidy and well maintained (all bulbs working, chapels correctly lit each morning / evening, corridor swept).
• Report weights and dimensions of all finished coffins and caskets to Manager.
• Ensure that Health & Safety requirements within the Mortuary are always followed and that the whole area is kept clean and tidy. Carry out monthly / quarterly ‘formaldehyde test’ to ensure that ventilation system is working effectively, and a safe working environment is being maintained.
• Ensure that mortuary equipment is regularly sanitised, that trays are cleaned following every deceased and that all ‘Hazardous Waste’ is correctly disposed of.
• Ensure that all fridges are running correctly by checking temperatures daily. Check that stretchers, wheel biers and hydraulic equipment is working correctly and are being regularly maintained and serviced to the required timescales.
• Ensure that there are sufficient working stretchers at the end of the day for out of hours’ removals.
• Responsible for ensuring that appropriate stocks of all consumables are available always (hand sanitiser, paper towels, cleaning materials, body tickets, deceased tracking documents, mortuary registers, etc.). Keeps weekly / monthly stock list and communicates order requirements to Logistics Manager in a timely manner to prevent out-of-stocks.
• When required, to act as a Funeral Operative.
• When required, to assist the Workshop Manager in the preparation of a deceased for Airports or onward transportation to another Funeral Director.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent organisational skills combined with attention to detail.
• Excellent timekeeping.
• Ability to plan and prioritise workload to meet business deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other business areas.
• Responsible and sympathetic attitude - ensuring the company is represented to the highest standard when performing the role and attending funerals.