Why remove pacemakers before cremation?

Most people who pass away in Australia are cremated. Currently, nearly 75% of all deceased persons are cremated. Conventional cremators (like those pictured above) operate at very high temperatures to ensure a person's remains are processed as quickly as possible. However, these high temperatures can create a safety risk if the deceased person has an implanted device which contains a battery. These devices can include pacemakers, defibrillators, and spinal stimulation (pain management) implants. When exposed to high temperatures, the internal pressure within the device itself can build to the point where it explodes within the cremator itself - damaging equipment and potentially injuring crematorium staff.

Before a cremation can take place, it must be ascertained if the deceased has one of these implanted devices. If so, it will need to be removed by a professional mortuary technician or qualified embalmer. An independent doctor will also examine the deceased before they are approved to proceed to their cremation. These checks ensure that the cremation can proceed without any unnecessary safety risks.

If you have any questions at all about the cremation process, please call us on 07 3544 6880.