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Crematory Safety in 1 Minute with ETCC ...Interior Gas Shutoff

Oct 18, 2024


crematory SAFETY IN 1 MINUTE WITH  East Tennessee Cremation Company ...Interior Gas Shutoff

By Christi Moon Robbins with East Tennessee Cremation Company


Knowing as much as you can about natural gas safety is really important when operating a crematory.  Since 2010, incidents like fires and explosions caused by natural gas leaks have occurred every 40 hours on average in the United States, according to the Public Interest Research Group.  The organization documented nearly 2,600 such incidents from 2010 to 2021, the group said in a 2022 report that cited data from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.


“Those explosions and fires killed 122 people and injured 603,” the report found.  This is just the human toll from natural gas explosions and fires.  The property loss and damage can climb into the millions of dollars.So, in the event of a natural gas emergency at your funeral home or crematory, the last thing you want to hear after yelling “Shut off the gas!” is the panicked reply...”Where is it?”


Should what our gas company calls a “non-catastrophic event” occur and you need to shut off your gas, does everyone in the building know where the interior gas shutoff valve is on the cremation unit? Do they know what it looks like? Is it clearly marked, labeled and easily identifiable? Have there been emergency drills on how to shut this off?


As part of a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly equipment inspection or policy and procedures review, it’s good practice to make sure that everyone in your facility knows exactly where and how to turn THIS. ONE. VALVE.  If you’re unsure about your interior gas shutoff location, contact your cremation unit manufacturer and also the gas company, so they can help you identify it and walk you through what you need to do in the event of a “non-catastrophic event.”


Interior gas line above crematory furnace
Labelled shutoff valve on crematory furnace















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