State of Mississippi Funeral Home Audit Checklist

State MFH programs must adhere to MDEP guidance in all functional aspects of their program, such as flags (internment size), caskets, church carts and AP3 VSO training.

To ensure statutory compliance and prudent resource stewardship, MFH Program managers are encouraged to connect with their respective NGB PMs in order to discuss additional needs beyond those covered by current NGPA funding. This should help facilitate efficient allocation of scarce resources.

1. Inventory

The General Price List is an integral component of Funeral Rule compliance and requires you to present consumer-facing identifying data as well as itemized costs of goods and services to enable comparison shopping and make cost-efficient at-need or prearranged arrangements that best suit their needs.

Any person asking you directly about your goods and services or prices must receive a copy of your GPL document, including competitors, journalists, representatives of businesses, religious societies, government agencies or consumer groups.

When offering outer burial containers, be sure to provide consumers with a price list in book or chart form that displays photos of each of your containers for sale. Do this prior to beginning any arrangements conferences with them or showing them any containers.

2. Preparation Room

Prep rooms can produce various contaminants, including microorganisms and blood borne pathogens, as well as unpleasant odors and fumes, making their outputs hazardous to those working elsewhere in a funeral home. Therefore, it’s essential that these outputs remain isolated from other parts of the facility so they can be properly vented outside the building by exhaust fans.

For this to work effectively, preparation room doors should be kept closed off from visitors in an adjacent hallway, enabling an embalmer to manage air quality in their preparation room without disturbing other staff who are preparing caskets, urns or memorial folders in reception hall.

3. Administration

Funeral home industry must comply with multiple state and federal regulations; failure to do so may result in fines being levied against funeral homes.

Certified Safety Training (CST) offers funeral directors and their staff access to an expansive funeral home OSHA safety program, complete with training and resources designed to keep them compliant with health and safety regulations such as Bloodborne Pathogens exposure controls, annual reviews of BBP exposure control plans and Hepatitis B vaccinations for non-management employees.

The Board employs an executive director, administrative assistants and field representatives who conduct inspections of licensed funeral establishments, embalming services and cemeteries. Additionally, it takes part in the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards where issues related to licensure qualification, examinations, reciprocity between states and other issues affecting funeral regulatory agencies are addressed.

4. Visitation

Dependent upon their emotional wellbeing, you may encourage families to follow CDC guidance; such as encouraging those who are sick or at-risk (e.g. elderly or immunocompromised) to remain home and practice social distancing, hand hygiene and covering coughs and sneezes with tissue paper or plastic sheets. You could also post informational flyers from the CDC.

Customers contacting you regarding pricing must receive the General and Casket Price Lists as well as an itemized Statement of Goods and Services Selected, along with an itemized Statement of Goods and Services Selected document. Visitors to your funeral establishment must also see these documents; filing for state exemption from this requirement cannot be done.

5. Chapel

Chapels are places of religious worship and prayer that may be attached to larger churches or independent structures, like funeral homes that offer chapels available for family use.

Your funeral director and you will arrange an arrangement conference, either in-person or over the telephone, to determine which services and merchandise to purchase, along with an itemized statement with prices.

Funeral homes must abide by stringent industry regulations in order to meet customer service expectations and safeguard your best interests. As customers ourselves, we encourage you to shop around and ask any pertinent questions; after all this is your right as customers!

6. Funeral Service
Funeral arrangements can be difficult and emotional processes. Funeral checklist examples can assist in keeping track of important information and processes during this difficult time.

Funeral establishment licenses must be granted for any place or premises dedicated to transporting, custodial care of, preparing for final disposition, embalming and embalming human corpses; viewing/ceremony rooms/places or offices dedicated to these activities. Per the Rule’s specifications, such an establishment must include an arrangement room, casket selection room and chapel or appropriate place for ceremonies.

Funeral providers must maintain an accessible price list of outer burial container offerings and prices available upon request. The list must include retail pricing for all containers provided. It should also be displayed prominently.