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CREMATION
FAQ
Frequently
Asked Questions
Question
#1: What
is the average temperature of a cremation chamber?
Answer: About
1600 degrees.
Question
#2: How long
does it take to cremate a body?
Answer: 2
hours for an average adult, 1 hour for a child, plus one
hour cool-down time.
Question
#3: Are
caskets burned with the body?
Answer: Only
if it is a non-metal casket and if requested by the family.
There are non-metal caskets made specifically for cremation.
Question
#4: How much
do ashes weigh?
Answer: Adult
remains weigh 4-8 pounds, a child's remains weight about
2-3 pounds.
Question
#5: What do ashes
look like?
Answer: Ashes
are calcium deposits that look like small chunks of crushed
white coral. Most people mistakenly think they look like
black ashes from a fire.
Question
#6: Do
ashes have any sort of bacteria or other hazardous elements
that can be harmful if handled directly?
Answer: No,
ashes are, in fact, quite sanitary and do not present any
sort of health hazard.
Question #7: How
much of the ashes are you able to recover from the cremation
chamber?
Answer:
99.9% all of the
ashes are recovered from the chamber.
Question
#8: How
do I know that the ashes that I receive after cremation
are those of my loved one?
Answer: Oahu
Cemetery carefully identifies each person before cremation.
Families may request to view the placement of the deceased
into the chamber if they need further assurance.
Question
# 9: Do
you have to get permission from a state or city office to
scatter ashes?
Answer: No
permission or permit is required by the state or city. However,
you may only scatter ashes on private property with the
consent of the landowner.
Question
#10: Are
there any restrictions on where you can scatter ashes?
Answer: No,
as long as you have permission from the landowner. Sea scattering
or air scattering does not require permission from anyone.
Question
#11: Are
there restrictions on what type of container can be used
to hold ashes?
Answer: There
are no restriction. Any type of container may be used.
Question
# 12: Where
do you store the deceased while awaiting cremation?
Answer: We
place the deceased in a certified refrigerator unit in the
crematory.
Question #13: What
happens to gold teeth filling and pacemakers?
Answer: Pacemakers
are extremely hazardous when subjected to the heat of the
cremation chamber and will explode. All pacemakers must
be removed prior to cremation. Gold fillings left with the
deceased, if recoverable, will be placed with the ashes
or returned to the family upon request.
Question
# 14: Can
the next of kin override the stated wishes of the deceased
to be cremated or buried?
Answer: Yes.
The wishes of the next of kin usually supersede the wishes
of the deceased.
Question
#15: Is
the smoke that comes out of the chamber stack ashes?
Answer: Most
of the residue seen, if any, is from the diesel fuel used
to fire the chamber. There are very stringent state and
federal laws that regulate crematory emissions.
Question
#16: Are
body parts ever released through the smoke stack?
Answer: Absolutely
not. The intensity of the heat quickly prevents this from
happening.
Question
#17:
What type of odors are
produced from cremation?
Answer: Surprisingly,
there is very little odor associated with cremations. However,
oil fumes may be present at the start-up The amount of fumes
released is strictly regulated by state and federal laws.
Cremation
Seminars Available
Oahu
Cemetery and Ultimate Cremation Services of Hawai'i offer
free seminars
on
cremation to health care professionals (groups only).
For
more information call:
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Hal
Lewis,
Superintendent
Oahu Cemetery
Ph.
808-538-1538
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Kevin
Kallet,
President
Ultimate Cremation Services of Hawai'i
Ph.
808-528-3441
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