2023 Arizona Revised Statutes
Title 32 - Professions and Occupations
§ 32-1399 - Crematories; rules; standards of practice

32-1399. Crematories; rules; standards of practice

The department shall adopt rules that establish standards equivalent to section 32-1307, subsection A, paragraph 4 for regulating crematories and cremation and that include the following:

1. A crematory shall develop, implement and maintain a written procedure for identifying human remains that ensures that remains can be identified from the time that a crematory accepts the delivery of the remains until the cremated remains are released to the authorizing agent. The identification procedures shall require the crematory to comply with the requirements of this section. The crematory shall not open a container containing human remains, except under the personal supervision of a licensed funeral director or embalmer or a responsible cremationist licensed pursuant to this article and trained in crematory operations to manage the daily operation of the crematory. After taking custody of human remains, a crematory shall immediately verify the identification attached to the casket or cremation container and assign an identification number. The crematory shall not accept unidentified caskets or cremation containers. The identification shall include the name and address of the deceased, the name and relationship of the authorizing agent, the name of the person or entity engaging the crematory services, a valid cremation permit issued by a government agency and a metal cremation disk containing the identification number. The disk shall be placed with the deceased during cremation.

2. If a crematory is unable to cremate the human remains immediately after taking custody, the crematory shall store the remains in a holding facility that is secure from access by anyone other than employees of the crematory and public officials in the performance of their duty and that complies with applicable public health laws, preserves the dignity of the human remains and protects the health of employees of the crematory.

3. A crematory shall not accept a casket or cremation container from which there is evidence of leakage of body fluids from the human remains and shall not hold human remains for cremation unless they are contained in an individual, closed casket or rigid cremation container of combustible material that preserves the dignity of the human remains and that protects the health of employees of the crematory. Human remains that are not embalmed shall be held by the crematory in a refrigerated holding facility that maintains human remains at or below thirty-eight degrees fahrenheit or in compliance with applicable public health laws.

4. All body prostheses, bridgework or similar items removed from the cremated remains shall be disposed of by the crematory unless an alternative disposition is agreed to in the authorization to cremate.

5. After cremation, the crematory as far as practicable shall remove visible parts of the residual of the cremation process from the retort, shall not combine the cremated or processed remains with other cremated or processed remains and shall attach the identification of the cremated or processed remains to the temporary container or urn into which the remains are placed.

6. The crematory shall place cremated or processed remains in a temporary container or urn. Extra space may be filled with clean packing material that will not combine with the cremated or processed remains. The lid or top shall be securely closed. Any cremated or processed remains that do not fit in the temporary container or urn shall be returned in a separate container or, with permission of the authorizing agent, disposed of by the crematory.

7. A crematory may dispose of cremated or processed remains in any legal manner directed by a document prepared pursuant to section 32-1365.01 or agreed to by the authorizing agent. If the authorizing agent agrees to take possession and does not take possession of the remains within thirty days after cremation or on an agreed date, the crematory shall send written notice to the last known address of the authorizing agent to take possession. Ninety days after the notification is sent or delivered, the crematory may dispose of the cremated or processed remains in any legal manner.

8. Unless the deceased has prepared a document pursuant to section 32-1365.01, the crematory shall obtain an authorization to cremate from the authorizing agent that shall contain a provision holding the crematory harmless for the disposition of unclaimed cremated or processed remains.

9. All employees of the crematory who handle dead human bodies shall use universal precautions and shall otherwise exercise reasonable care to minimize the risk of transmitting any communicable disease from a dead human body.

10. Unless the deceased has prepared a document pursuant to section 32-1365.01, employees of the crematory shall not remove a dead human body from the container in which it is delivered to the crematory without the express written consent of the authorizing agent. If, after accepting a dead human body for cremation, employees of a crematory discover that a mechanical or radioactive device is implanted in the body, an embalmer licensed pursuant to article 2 of this chapter shall remove the device from the body before cremation takes place.

11. A crematory shall keep an accurate record of all cremations performed, including dispositions of cremated and processed remains, for not fewer than five years after the cremation.