AN120221 – Funeral Industries (State) Award 2005
Employees are prohibited from the carrying of coffins/caskets containing a deceased person at shoulder height or above whilst engaged in funeral duties except where it is not practical to do so.
(i) For the loading and unloading of a casket, the following shall apply:
(a) Body of a person over 5 years of age - two people;
(b) Body of a person over twelve years of age - three people;
(c) Body contained in a rectangular American type casket where the inside length exceeds 1.67 metres (66 inches) or the inside width exceeds 508 mm (20 inches) - four people;
(d) Heavy body - one additional person if reasonably required.
Provided that where a removal is carried out by means of a stretcher, only two people shall be used. Not more than one body shall simultaneously be carried on a stretcher. This proviso shall not apply to person five years of age or under.
(ii) Where employees are engaged in the loading or unloading of a body of a person contained in a leaden casket, the number of employees to be used for such work shall be:
(a) under three years - two;
(b) between three and fifteen years - four;
(c) fifteen years and over - six.
(iii) Where the distance from the funeral vehicle to the place of interment or cremation is less than 182.8 metres (two hundred yards) under no circumstances shall less than two people be engaged on the work of loading or unloading of a deceased person over five years of age and not exceeding twelve years of age nor less than three people when the deceased person is over twelve years of age; provided that not less than four people shall be engaged in the work of carrying a rectangular American type casket when the inside length of the casket exceeds 1.67 metres (sixty-six inches) and in the work of carrying a casket containing a body so heavy as reasonably to require an additional person.
(iv) When the distance is greater than 182.8 metres (two hundred yards), there shall be one person extra in all of the cases referred to in subclause (iii) of this clause.
(v) The manning requirements on the loading or unloading of caskets prescribed by this clause do not apply to the manning levels on a funeral, as defined by Clause 14 of this Award, when, except for funeral services followed by cortege from a church or chapel, only one person will be required for each funeral.
