--- title: "Evacuation Diagrams for Funeral Homes and Mortuaries in Australia" description: "Funeral homes present unique evacuation challenges including public grief, chemical hazards in preparation rooms, and mixed-use layouts. Learn the AS 3745 requirements for funeral premises evacuation diagrams." canonical: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-funeral-homes source: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-funeral-homes --- # Evacuation Diagrams for Funeral Homes and Mortuaries in Australia > Funeral homes present unique evacuation challenges including public grief, chemical hazards in preparation rooms, and mixed-use layouts. Learn the AS 3745 requirements for funeral premises evacuation diagrams. _EvacPath Team · 2026-04-12 · 7 min read_ Funeral homes occupy a unique position among Australian commercial premises. They serve a public that is often emotionally distressed, operate preparation and embalming rooms with chemical and biological hazards, and maintain a quiet, dignified atmosphere that may delay recognition of an emergency. Despite these complexities, funeral homes are subject to the same emergency planning requirements as any other workplace. Under [AS 3745](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-australia):2010, Planning for Emergencies in Facilities, every funeral home, mortuary, and crematorium must have an Emergency Management Plan and compliant evacuation diagrams. The obligation falls on the PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking), which is typically the funeral director or the company that operates the premises. ## Why Funeral Homes Need Tailored Evacuation Planning The occupants of a funeral home at any given time include staff, grieving families, and sometimes large groups attending a funeral service or viewing. These visitors are in a heightened emotional state and may not respond to an emergency alarm in the way that workers in an office or retail environment would. Some may freeze, some may become confused, and some may resist leaving if they are mid-service or mid-viewing. The Emergency Management Plan and the evacuation diagrams must account for this. Staff should be trained to guide visitors calmly but firmly to the exits. The diagrams should be clear enough that a visitor can follow them without assistance, because staff may be occupied with multiple groups of people in different parts of the building. Funeral homes also frequently operate across multiple zones: a public chapel or ceremony room, viewing rooms, arrangement offices, a back-of-house preparation room, a coolroom or mortuary storage area, and sometimes a crematorium. Each zone has different hazards and different occupant profiles, and the evacuation plan must address all of them. ## Chemical Hazards in Preparation and Embalming Rooms The preparation room is the highest-hazard area in most funeral homes. Embalming fluids contain formaldehyde, which is toxic, a known carcinogen, and flammable in concentrated form. Formalin (a formaldehyde solution) is the primary embalming chemical used in Australian funeral homes, and it must be stored and handled in accordance with the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and relevant dangerous goods regulations. The evacuation diagram for the preparation room area should identify the location of formaldehyde storage, the emergency eyewash station and safety shower (required under AS 4775 for workplaces using formaldehyde), and the ventilation system controls. The diagram should show egress routes from the preparation room that allow staff to exit without passing through chemical storage areas. Other chemicals commonly present include cavity fluid, disinfectants, and cosmetic preparation materials. While individually these are not major hazards, a fire involving multiple chemical containers can produce toxic smoke that makes the preparation room and surrounding areas extremely dangerous. The Emergency Management Plan should include procedures for chemical spill response as well as fire evacuation. - Formaldehyde (formalin) is toxic, carcinogenic, and flammable in concentrated form - Emergency eyewash station and safety shower locations must appear on diagrams - Chemical storage areas should be clearly identified - Ventilation system controls for the preparation room should be marked - Egress routes should avoid chemical storage zones where possible ## Coolrooms and Mortuary Storage Funeral home coolrooms operate continuously to maintain appropriate storage temperatures. They present specific hazards including refrigerant gas leaks, electrical faults, and the risk of a person becoming locked inside. Modern coolrooms should have internal release mechanisms, but older units may not. The evacuation diagram should show the location of the coolroom and the egress route from that area. Staff working in or near the coolroom should be aware of the internal release mechanism (if one exists) and the procedure if the door becomes jammed. This is a workplace safety issue that intersects with evacuation planning. Crematoriums, if present on the same premises, add a significant fire hazard. Cremation furnaces operate at extremely high temperatures and are fuelled by gas or diesel. The evacuation diagram for a crematorium should show the furnace location, fuel storage, gas isolation points, and the electrical isolation switch for the furnace. Emergency shutdown procedures for the cremation furnace should be part of the Emergency Management Plan. ## Chapel and Ceremony Room Evacuation The chapel or ceremony room is the public-facing heart of a funeral home. It may seat anywhere from 20 to 200 people, depending on the size of the venue. During a service, all attendees are seated, focused on the ceremony, and emotionally engaged. An alarm during a service will cause confusion and distress beyond what is typical in a workplace evacuation. The evacuation diagram for the chapel area should be posted at the entrance and at any secondary exits. It should clearly show all exits, not just the main entrance doors. Many chapels have side exits or rear exits that attendees may not be aware of. The diagram should make these alternative exits obvious. Aisles in the chapel must be kept clear of obstructions. Flower arrangements, display boards, and photograph easels commonly placed in chapel aisles during services can obstruct evacuation routes. The Emergency Management Plan should include a pre-service checklist that ensures aisles remain clear and exits are unobstructed. ## Multi-Building Funeral Home Complexes Larger funeral home operations may comprise multiple buildings on a single campus: a main chapel, a smaller intimate chapel, an arrangement office, a preparation building, and possibly a crematorium. Each building requires its own evacuation diagram, and the site should also have an overall site plan that shows the relationship between buildings, the assembly area, and the vehicle access routes for emergency services. Staff who work across multiple buildings must be familiar with the evacuation procedures and diagram locations for each building. The Emergency Management Plan should address the coordination challenge of an emergency that affects one building on a multi-building site, ensuring that evacuees from one building do not assemble in a location that could become dangerous if the emergency spreads. Vehicle access is critical for funeral home complexes. Hearses, family limousines, and service vehicles may be parked in areas that emergency vehicles need to access. The site plan and evacuation diagrams should show designated emergency vehicle access routes and ensure that these routes are not blocked during services. ## Get Evacuation Diagrams for Your Funeral Home EvacPath creates AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams for funeral homes, mortuaries, crematoriums, and memorial complexes across Australia. We understand the sensitive nature of funeral premises and the specific layout, chemical, and occupancy considerations that apply. Send us your floor plan and we will deliver print-ready PDFs in 3 to 5 business days. [No site visit](https://evacpath.com/how-it-works) required. Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram. Basic Package A$280 for up to 4 diagrams, Standard Package A$420 for up to 8 diagrams.