Measures to Ensure Funeral Parlours Operate under Hygienic Conditions, and Store and Treat Bodies Respectfully

21 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what enforcement measures are in place to ensure that funeral parlours operate under hygienic conditions, and store and treat the bodies respectfully.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The National Environment Agency (NEA) licenses funeral parlours with embalming or body washing facilities, and requires them to provide adequate and hygienic washing facilities, and perform thorough cleaning of the body preparation rooms after each service. NEA conducts periodic checks at licensed funeral parlours to ensure compliance with the licensing conditions and the Environmental Public Health (Funeral Parlours) Regulations. Enforcement action may be taken for non-compliance. First-time offenders may be fined up to $1,000 and repeat offenders may be fined up to $2,000 for subsequent offences.

In addition, NEA has issued guidelines on the handling of deceased persons in funeral parlours which facilitate the sharing of best practices for practitioners in the funeral services industry, to ensure high public health standards and provide dignified services to bereaved families.