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JANUARY 2015
FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS
S ec t i on A
John A. Chew is a Funeral Service Education Specialist, Consul-
tant, Tutor, Thanatogeneticist, and a Licensed Funeral Director and
Embalmer. He is a retired former Associate Professor and Director of
Funeral Service Education at Miami Dade Community College as well
as the Institute for Funeral Service Education and Anatomy at Lynn
University (1967-1997). He is presently Director of Education at Em-
balmers Supply Company, Recinto De Ciecias, Medicic, UPR, ESCO/
OMEGA, and the Academy of Restoration and Embalming.
By John A. Chew
The preparation room should be located in an area that is
convenient for employees, yet not accessible to the public.
It should be maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.
The size is determined by the estimated case number with
room for future expansion.
The 21st century preparation rooms should contain only
essential equipment. Most equipment should be mobile for
proper sanitizing and maintenance. The walls and floors
should be nonporous for easy and controlled decontamina-
tion. Chemicals and sundries should be secured under lock
and key when not being used. Emphasis should be placed
on employee safety and the protection of public health. The
preparation room should contain a drench shower, emer-
gency eye wash, multiple grounded electrical fixtures and
snap-in plumbing fixtures. Vacuum breakers should be a
part of all water sources in the prep room.
Asepsis (a-without, sepsis-infection) is a broad term used
to describe a series of procedures intended to reduce in-
fection. Asepsis technics cover a wide range of controlled
practices which if carried out consciously will reduce the
incidence of sepsis for practitioners. A simple task, such as
washing your hands, is essential to the health and well-be-
ing of everyone.
Understanding
Basic
Sanitation and
Embalming
Practices
(Part 4)
tion which uses liquid chemicals to destroy disease produc-
ing microbes on inanimate surfaces such as vehicles, floors,
furniture and walls. Antisepsis is when liquid chemicals are
used to destroy disease producing microbes and their by-
products on surfaces of the skin. Sanitization represents the
overall cleaning process including the three D’s.
Sterilization is achieved with the use of special equip-
ment and a series of controlled practices utilizing heat and
moisture/water. There are some basic principles when using
steam as a sterilizing agent. Steam under pressure is effective
against vegetative and spore forming organisms, and is not
used in funeral establishments due to high cost of equip-
ment (autoclave). Boiling sterilizers are most commonly
used if they are available.
In the preparation room, when available, cold sterilization
(chemical) is utilized. If laws do not state the use of a steriliz-
er, it opens a loophole which can endanger the practitioner.
Surveys over many years conducted in classrooms indicate
that only 3 to 5 percent of preparation rooms use sterilizers.
In the real world, instruments are rinsed in water after each
embalming procedure and laid out on a towel for future use.
Part 5 will continue with the general overview.
Every preparation room should have a first aid kit for
emergency treatment in the event of an accident. This is the
first line of defense in protecting every practitioner. Even
a small laceration or puncture can be serious and warrant
medical attention.
In the event of an injury, gloves should be removed, the
area should be washed thoroughly and encouraged to bleed.
Topical antiseptics and a sterile bandage should then be ap-
plied. The practitioner should follow-up with medical at-
tention as soon as possible.
In the event of an embalming chemical being splashed
in the eyes, remove gloves and flood eyes with water at the
sink or eye wash station. Seek medical care to prevent per-
manent damage.
An accident report should be completed with the employ-
er as a permanent documented record of the injury. The
practitioner could possibly need extensive medical atten-
tion or be prevented from working.
When working with a hypodermic syringe (embalming
chemicals or tissue builders), a face shield or goggles are
recommended/required. Improper cleaning or disinfect-
ing can cause clogging of the hypodermic needle and when
hand pressure is applied, the syringe may break or needle
may come loose. Only luer-lok syringes should be used.
Use of alcohol gels, protective clothing, masks and shields
also control potential accidental chemical injury. So many
times individuals put gloves on after handling a dead body
without properly washing their hands. This creates a poten-
tial danger by isolating potentially dangerous organisms in
an encapsulated area. Micro pores or a break in the integ-
rity of a protective glove can open the practitioner to in-
fection or death. Quality of the glove is essential. Gloves
should only be used once and then disposed of properly.
Poor grade gloves contain micro pores of 5 microns and a
virus like AIDS is only 1 micron, which could be a poten-
tial hazard to those using inferior gloves.
The process of sterilization is distinguished from disinfec-
The Fergersons: Pioneers of North Syracuse
taught computer classes to his classmates and was a
member and secretary of Sigma Phi Sigma fraternity.
After passing the Funeral Service Academy’s National
Board Exam and while serving his one year residency
as a registered intern with the family firm, he passed
the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of
Funeral Directing Law Exam in Albany. He graduat-
ed from LeMoyne College in 2008 with a BS in busi-
ness administration.
Although the traditions of the family remain with
the seventh generation living on the family proper-
ty, the Fergersons believe in constantly moving for-
ward and progressing. While very involved in their
community, serving on numerous boards and volun-
teering countless hours, the Fergersons actively par-
ticipate in charting North Syracuse’s future growth
and development. On the cutting edge of technol-
ogy, Fergerson Funeral Home launched the first fu-
neral home website in Central New York – the sec-
ond in New York State, they were the first in world
to broadcast a funeral live on the internet and they
offer a 24-hour streaming web camera accessible
through their website. Fred, a self-acknowledged
gadget lover, has a personal motto, “significantly ad-
i
Home.
Pat has been a licensed director with Fer-
gerson since 1977. The only female instructor at
the time, Pat taught Chemistry, Microbiology, Phi-
losophy, Biology, and Restorative Art from 1977
through 1981. Pat is a member of the
Central New
York Funeral Directors,
New York State Funeral Di-
rectors Association and the National Funeral Direc-
tors Associations.
Fred and Pat have taught several courses dealing
with youth education in funeral service in the North
Syracuse school district as well as in their funeral
home. Several local churches have had their confir-
mation classes attend these classes. Girl Scout troops
have also attended these classes for badge qualifi-
cations. Fred was honored in 1993 as North Syra-
cuse’s “Man of The Year” by the Greater North Syr-
acuse Chamber of Commerce and the
Star-News.
That same year the Fergersons were named New
York State Family of the Year by the New York State
Council of the Knights of Columbus. Two years
later, in 1995, Pat was named North Syracuse Star
News Woman of the Year.
Joining his parents as a third generation funeral di-
rector is Alfred W. “Bill” Fergerson. Bill graduated
from high school in 2002. He then completed two
years of study in one year graduating in 2003 from
Simmons Institute of Funeral Service in Syracuse
with an Associate Degree. While a student there, he