Know-How Exchange : Career/Training

Dear cenaccs,

A competitive and highly lucrative niche if ever there was one.
At the minimum you'll need Bloodborne Pathogens certification.

This means your first stop is OSHA:

Occupational Safety & Health Administration:
Atlanta Area Office - www.osha.gov
2183 Northlake Pkwy, Tucker, GA - (770) 493-6644

Seek their guidance and you'll be ahead of the pack and in compliance with the law. Whatever you do, DO NOT make the mistake of thinking you can skip classes or skimp on certification.

OSHA is part of the Federal Government (Department of Labor) and they have teeth. They are NOT an organization to be messed with. There are all kinds of offers online that offer training in just a few hours, of these, you may well advised to BEWARE and AVOID.

Then there's business licensing.

For the state of Georgia you'll find business licensing details here:
https://www.georgia.gov/00/channel_title/0,2094,4802_5039,00.html

You'll also need liability insurance to cover property, damage, theft, and so on. Talk to the people at www.georgia.gov and get their advice.

It might also serve you well to make an appointment to talk to the County Coroners or Medical Examiners of the areas you'll be working in to ask for their advice on what to expect, and on additional training, regulations, safety, insurance, equipment, and disposal.

Tales from the trenches and all that.

Likewise for well-respected funeral directors in your area. The more information you have and the more questions you get answers directly from the people who most commonly come into contact with the scenes you'll be dealing with, the better for you.

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck with your venture.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA