June 2020

Page A14 JUNE 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A Funeral Directors Research,Inc. AMRA INSTRUMENT, LLC 623 N. Tower (P.O. Box 359) Centralia, WA 98531 “the shorter the supply line the better off you are” WEB DIRECT GIFT & PRICING TM ® www.amrainstruments.com www.preproomdirect.com By Glenn Lafitte Workplace: COVID-19 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to march on, the use of respiratory protection for funeral workers who handle the deceased is greatly heightened. While the use of respirators by funeral workers has historical- ly been confined to controlling excessive embalming chemical exposure or bioaerosols such as tuberculosis and others, it is now becoming a standard personal protective equipment (PPE) item. Personnel are wear- ing respirators to make removals and perform em- balming procedures due to the current uncertainties of COVID-19 transmission. We have all heard and read about the recommenda- tions for all of us to wear some type of facial mask or respirator when we are out in public. The most no- table type of respirator being used by healthcare and deathcare professionals is the N95 particulate respi- rator. The N95 respirator is a tight-fitting respirator approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to remove 95% of air- borne particles (0.3 microns and greater) and it is not resistant to oil (hence the “N95” designation). There are other types of similar respirators with even greater ability to filter particles out of the air i.e. N99, N100, R95, R100, P95, P100. “R” designated filter- ing respirators have “some” ability to filter oily par- ticles such as those generated from solvents or pesti- cides. “P” designated filtering respirators have a very strong ability to filter oily particles as previously men- tioned. The numbers associated with each type of res- respiratory protection program and this means they typically cannot have any type of underlying heart, lung, or other health issues that might place them at risk by wearing a respirator. So as we move forward in a world sure to contin- ue the need for social distancing and other precau- tions from airborne pathogens, the need for the funer- al home to embrace a proper respiratory protection program is paramount in protecting its employees not only from excessive chemical exposures but also infec- tious disease. At a minimum, we recommend at least one individual at every funeral home be a participant in a respiratory protection program that includes all of the OSHA compliance requirements outlined in OSHA 1910.134. OSHA Compliance pirator signify that respirator’s ability to filter out a cer- tain percentage of particulates from the air i.e. 95%, 99%, or 100%. Any of these types of respirators or filters will suffice relative to funeral worker protection to CO- VID-19 or other types of airborne biohazards. However, there is a clear distinction made between members of the public wearing respiratory protection such as the N95 respirator compared to an occupation- al worker who is “required” to wear respiratory protec- tion in response to handling a COVID-19 case. With the more widespread use of respirators such as N95 respira- tors within the funeral industry, it is very important to understand the OSHA regulatory requirements associat- ed with their use. If the funeral home requires their employees to wear a tight-fitting respirator such as the typical N95 to handle the deceased (highly recommended), then OSHA’s Re- spiratory Protection Standard, 1910.134 applies. Com- pliance obligations include annual employee training on the proper use of the respirator, medical evaluation and approval, annual fit testing (although OSHA has elimi- nated fit testing temporarily due to COVID-19), and a written program. The reason an employer is bound to comply with OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standard is simply to protect the health of the employee. Wearing any of the aforementioned types of particulate respirators can place a burden on the wearer’s health in the form of increased resistance to inhalation. The employee must be medically-approved to participate in the funeral home’s Glenn Lafitte is the President and principle owner of Ecolomed LLC. Ecolomed LLC has offered comprehensive OSHA compli- ance services to the funeral home industry since 1992. For more information, please visit www.ecolomed.com or call 918-625-4755. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at Respiratory Protection in the Call Joe or Tony Molina 1-800-506-1983 (314) 781-1500 - St. Louis, MO View our Inventory at www.royalcoachworks. com Since 1982 Jon Cozean , of Cozean Memorial Chapel in Farmington, MO, takes delivery of a Superior Cadillac XTS 6-Door Limousine, from Joe Molina , President of Royal Coachworks, Inc. Mr. Cozean represents the fourth generation for the firm which has been in continuous operation in Farmington since 1864 and is one of the oldest mortuary establishments in the state of Missouri. The funeral home is a long standing member of the OGR, and a multiple Pursuit of Excellence Award winner from NFDA. Dennis Goethe (left) and Steve Schrader (second from left), of the Schrader Funeral Home and Crematory , Ballwin, MO, take delivery of their 2019 S&S Cadillac XTS Crown Medalist Coach, from Joe Molina , President of Royal Coachworks, Inc. The new S&S Coach was custom ordered to their specifications. Since their founding in 1868 by Frederick Schrader , the family has served the families of Ballwin and the surrounding areas. They are the oldest, family-owned funeral home in the St. Louis area and now are operated by the family’s fifth generation. really stepped up to help funeral professionals during this unprecedented time,” says Kevin Schoedinger, senior vice president and head of technology at Schoedinger Funeral Home and Cremation Services. “Our funeral directors could not be more pleased with how our digital arrangement tool has made our long distance arrangements easier. We spent a lot of time and thousands of dollars trying to develop some- thing like this tool and Eterneva was able to help us get this together in 5 days. Instead of spending time on figuring out technology with families, they can spend that time building a meaningful connection. Thank you Eterneva.” This service is 100 percent free of charge. With the cur- rent crisis at hand, and with death care professionals try- ing to quickly migrate their entire experience online forcing them to quickly adapt into an unknown and uncomfort- able place, this digitized arrangement tool helps both fami- lies and homes find their way. Eterneva is not intending on becoming a digital arrangement company, they just want to help. This is great news for all of you as they can build this super fast and easy with no sales cycle. All a funeral home /crematorium/cemetery needs to do is meet with the Eterneva team and send them the right con- tent. The tool can be set up within 1-2 business days. Those interested in learning more about Eterneva’s digital arrangement tool, should reach out to Katy Stover at katy@ eterneva.com. Eterneva is a consumer technology company and grief well- ness brand that celebrates lives by making diamonds from ash- es. Eterneva designed an intricate eight-month process to cre- ate these soulful remembrances, which is a journey that is as special as the diamond and the person behind it. Customers personalize diamonds’ size, color, cut, and inscriptions, so they serve as meaningful connections to their lost loved one. From interactive video packaging to hand-written letters, to a cou- rier service that hand-delivers the diamond in a homecoming service, customers experience a level of thoughtfulness they’ve never seen before. Eterneva is based in Austin, TX, and was re- cently featured on Shark Tank, and on both Inc and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 lists. To learn more, visit www.eterneva.com. COVID-19 INDUSTRY RESPONSE Eterneva Offers Funeral Homes Free Digital Arrangement Setup and Tool AUSTIN,TX— Eterneva, a grief wellness and memorial dia- mond company headquartered in Austin, TX, is offering a new, free service to funeral homes and crematoriums to dig- itize all of their arrangement materials in under 72 hours. Eterneva is closely partnered with a select group of funer- al homes, including Schoedinger Funeral Home and Cre- mation Services based in Columbus, OH. It was Eterneva’s partnership with Schoedinger that spurred the idea to help funeral homes get online fast so they can continue to serve families as the essential workers and service they are. “We know how important it is to come together and help as many people as we can right now,” says Adelle Archer, co- founder and CEO of Eterneva. “We feel like death care pro- fessionals are the unsung heroes that no one is talking about. If we can help by taking one thing off their plate, we’ll be happy to know we played a role in decreasing the burden on funeral homes at this challenging time.” Eterneva’s funeral home partner Schoedinger has been the first to roll out the new dig- ital arrangement feature to all of their funeral directors and are already seeing tre- mendous results. “Eterneva has been an amazing partner. They have S E N D U S Y O U R N E W S ! PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 1-800-321-7479 info@nomispublications.com