Funeral Home Inspection | FAQs

Funeral Home Inspection FAQ

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) requires a funeral home inspection before granting an original license and during specific operational changes or renewal cycles. (Wisconsin Statute 445.09)

Inspection Requirements

• New Establishment: The initial license cannot be granted to a new funeral establishment without an initial inspection of the establishment and preparation room prior to opening.

• Change in Ownership: A change-of-ownership application requires an inspection of the establishment and preparation room before issuing the license.

• Investigation: If a complaint is filed with the Department of Safety and Professional Services on a funeral establishment, it may warrant an inspection of the establishment and preparation room before issuing the license.

• Change in Location: If the funeral establishment is transferring their location to another location, it requires an inspection of the new establishment location and preparation room before issuing the license.

Note: Funeral home establishments need to be in a permanent structure (i.e., no Funeral Home Establishment licenses can be issued for an “online only” establishment and/or a non-permanent traveling structure, such as a trailer).

What to expect when you file an application for a funeral home establishment license.

Once the application process is complete with the Division of Professional Credential Processing, your application will be sent to the Department of Legal Services and Compliance where an Investigator will reach out to you to schedule your inspection.

Once a date and time has been set for the inspection, the Investigator will send you a copy of the following documents which will provide guidance on what they will be looking for when they arrive.

• DLSC Form #2033 funeral Directors Examining Board Inspection Report

• State of Wisconsin Prep Room Requirements

• CDC Radiation Guidelines for Decedents

Q: Where should I display my funeral home establishment license, funeral director license, certificates of apprenticeship and certifications? [Wisconsin Statute 445.09, 445.105(1)]

A: All licenses and certifications should be displayed in the public’s view, ideally where you would meet with families for funeral preparations.

Q: Do I need to have a licensed funeral director in charge of the funeral establishment? [Wisconsin Statute 445.105(2)]

A: Yes, the Funeral Director in Charge must have a valid license and cannot oversee more than three (3) funeral establishments at a time. Note: A least one of the three establishments must have a usable/licensed preparation room.

Q: Why is the preparation room the most critical part of the establishment inspection?

A: The preparation room handles biohazards, hazardous chemicals, and specialized medical plumbing. Because of these inherent safety risks, DSPS inspectors scrutinize this room more than any other area of a funeral home to protect both public health and employee safety.

Q: How big does my preparation room have to be? [FD 1.09(1)]

A: The preparation room must have a minimum floor area of 100 square feet per embalming table. Inspectors will measure the room during their visit.

Q: What type of embalming tables are acceptable?

A: The preparation room must be equipped with a hard surface, metal or porcelain top embalming table. [FD 1.09(1)]

Q: What surface standards must the floors and walls meet?

A: According to state sanitation standards, all surfaces must be smooth, non-porous, and easy to sanitize. [FD 1.09(1)]

• Flooring: Must be seamless sheet vinyl, sealed concrete, or commercial tile with non-porous grouting. Concrete that is cracked or unsealed will fail inspection.

• Walls and Ceilings: Must be covered in washable, water-resistant paint or FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) panels. Absorbent materials like wood trim or acoustic ceiling tiles should be avoided or fully sealed.

Q: What plumbing features are required?

A: Wastewater flows into the main city sewer or an adequate septic tank. [FD 1.09(1)]

• The room must feature a dedicated flushing rim sink, slop sink, or a specialized prep room floor drain designed to safely dispose of bodily fluids without splashing.

• Installation used for embalming is equipped with hot and cold running water supply under pressure and is in quantity sufficient for operations performed therein and for cleaning the room.

• Hand washing facilities are easily accessible in the preparation room.

Q: What are the ventilation requirements for formaldehyde fumes?

A: The room must have a dedicated mechanical exhaust ventilation system capable of expelling gas or fumes to an outside point to not create a nuisance to the public. [FD 1.09(3)]

Q: What emergency safety equipment must be physically operational inside the room?

A: You must have functional, unblocked emergency stations ready for immediate use:

• Eyewash Station: Must provide a continuous, hands-free 15-minute flush with tepid water. It must be accessible within a 10-second walk (roughly 55 feet) from the embalming table.

• Safety Shower: While not always mandated for tiny setups, a drench shower or quick-drench hose is highly recommended near the chemical mixing station. [FD 1.09(3)]

Q: What OSHA chemical documentation must be physically present in the prep room?

A: You must maintain a complete Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Binder located inside or directly outside the prep room entrance. This binder must contain up-to-date sheets for every chemical stored or used in the room, including arterial fluids, cavity chemical sprays, cauterants, sealing powders, and disinfectant soaps. In addition, you must post easy access to the Guidelines for Handling Decedents Contaminated with Radioactive Materials in the prep room. (FD 2.11)

Q: How should Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and waste be managed?

A: The room must act as a self-contained safety zone. The inspector will look for:

• Dedicated PPE Station: A fully stocked area containing chemical-resistant gowns/aprons, full-face shields, heavy-duty nitrile gloves, foot covers and appropriate respirators.

• Biohazard Disposal Bins: Clearly marked red biohazard waste bins for contaminated clothing or sheets, alongside puncture-proof sharps containers for needles, trocars, and scalpels. (FD 2.11)

Q: What preparation tools are needed to meet DSPS standards set forth by the Funeral Directors Examining Board?

A: The following is a list of what the Funeral Directors Examining Board would consider to be the MINIMUM instruments and other items necessary to equip a prep room. If possible, having these items on display prior to inspection is very helpful to move the process along quickly. [FD 1.09(3)]

• Injector needle gun and injector needles

• Two or more hemostatic forceps

• Spring forceps

• Surgical and dissecting scissors

• Two or more aneurism hooks

• Scalpel handle and disposable scalpel blades

• Variety of sizes of suturing needles and suturing thread

• Eye caps

• Arterial and cavity embalming fluid

• Personal protection equipment (gloves, gowns, foot covers, eye protection, etc.)

• Trocar and trocar buttons

• Embalming machine and variety of different sizes of injection tubes

• Sheets for covering bodies (disposable or cloth)

• Embalming table

• Sharps container

• Two sinks (one for hand washing and one for drainage of body fluids)

• Disinfecting and sterilizing solutions

• Handwashing soap

• Head and body positioner blocks

• Plumbing to allow sufficient water pressure for a hydro aspirator equipped with a vacuum breaker (electronic aspirator could be substituted)

Note: Eye wash and drench shower must be available in the prep room as well as a formaldehyde & organic vapor gas respirator.