2007 Minnesota Statutes

149A.92 PREPARATION AND EMBALMING ROOM.
    Subdivision 1. Exemption. All funeral establishments having a preparation and embalming
room that has not been used for the preparation or embalming of a dead human body in the 12
calendar months prior to July 1, 1997, are exempt from the minimum requirements in subdivisions
2 to 6, except as provided in this section. At the time that ownership of a funeral establishment
changes, the physical location of the establishment changes, or the building housing the funeral
establishment or business space of the establishment is remodeled the existing preparation and
embalming room must be brought into compliance with the minimum standards in this section.
    Subd. 2. Minimum requirements; general. Every funeral establishment must have a
preparation and embalming room. The room shall be of sufficient size and dimensions to
accommodate a preparation or embalming table, an approved flush bowl with water connections,
a hand sink with water connections, and an instrument table, cabinet, or shelves.
    Subd. 3. Minimum requirements; lighting and ventilation. The room shall be properly lit
and ventilated with an exhaust fan that provides at least 12 air changes per hour and is located so
that air is drawn away from the person performing the preparation.
    Subd. 4. Minimum requirements; plumbing connections. All plumbing fixtures, water
supply lines, plumbing vents, and waste drains shall be properly vented and connected pursuant to
the Minnesota Plumbing Code. Where a municipal sewerage system is available, the building
drainage system shall be discharged into that system. Where a municipal system is not available,
the building system must be discharged into an approved private system of waste disposal.
    Subd. 5. Minimum requirements; flooring, walls, ceiling, doors, and windows. All
preparation and embalming rooms shall have nonporous flooring, so that a sanitary condition is
provided. The walls and ceiling of the preparation and embalming room shall run from floor
to ceiling and be covered with tile, or by plaster or sheetrock painted with washable paint, or
other appropriate material so that a sanitary condition is provided. The doors, walls, ceiling, and
windows shall be constructed to prevent odors from entering any other part of the building. All
windows or other openings to the outside must be screened and all windows must be treated in a
manner that prevents viewing into the preparation room from the outside.
    Subd. 6. Minimum requirements; equipment and supplies. The preparation and
embalming room must have a functional aspirator, eye wash, and quick drench shower. Where
embalmings are actually performed in the room, the room must be equipped with a preparation
and embalming table, a functional method for injection of fluids, and sufficient supplies and
instruments for normal operation. The preparation and embalming table shall have a nonporous
top of rustproof metal or porcelain, with raised edges around the top of the entire table and a drain
opening at the lower end. All supplies must be stored and used in accordance with all applicable
state and federal regulations for occupational health and safety.
    Subd. 7. Access and privacy. The preparation and embalming room must be private and
have no general passageway through it. The room shall, at all times, be secure from the entrance
of unauthorized persons. Authorized persons are those persons described in section 149A.91,
subdivision 2 . Each door allowing ingress or egress shall carry a sign that indicates that the room
is private and access is limited. All authorized persons who are present in or enter a preparation
and embalming room while a body is being prepared for final disposition must be attired in
accordance with all applicable state and federal regulations regarding the control of infectious
disease and occupational and workplace health and safety.
    Subd. 8. Sanitary conditions and permitted use. The preparation and embalming room
and all fixtures, equipment, instruments, receptacles, clothing, and other appliances or supplies
stored or used in the room must be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition at all times. A
preparation and embalming room shall not be used for any other purposes.
    Subd. 9. Waste disposal. Infectious and pathological waste generated in preparation of the
body shall be handled and disposed of according to the Infectious Waste Control Act, sections
116.75 to 116.83, and packaged for disposal in the manner prescribed by rules.
    Subd. 10. Occupational and workplace safety. All applicable provisions of state and
federal regulations regarding exposure to workplace hazards and accidents shall be followed
in order to protect the health and safety of all authorized persons who enter the preparation
and embalming room.
History: 1997 c 215 s 38; 2007 c 114 s 53,54