The Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors began reviewing all of the Ohio Administrative Rules two years ago. Many of the rules needed technical changes made to them for consistency and the overall order of the rules needed to be re-organized for easier use by licensees and consumers. The Board rescinded all of the previously effective rules and refilled all new rules. The majority of the rules became effective on April 10, 2011. However, the rules pertaining to apprenticeship and initial licensing of embalmers and funeral directors will not become effective until January 1, 2012.
In recent years, it has become concerning to the Board the lack of practical knowledge many of the apprentices are obtaining. This fact combined with an increase in requests from individuals wanting to enter the profession but unable to serve a full-time apprenticeship, prompted the Board to review the apprenticeship program.
In reviewing apprentice case reports and concerns raised by Board members following apprentice interviews, it became even more apparent that changes needed to be made to the program to better ensure the individuals entering the profession in the future will be properly trained and be able to professionally serve the public.
The current apprenticeship program requires a funeral director apprentice to serve a full-time apprenticeship of two years and an embalmer apprentice to serve a full-time apprenticeship of one year following one year of mortuary school. The new apprenticeship rules provide extended time periods and eliminate the full-time requirement. Beginning in January 2012, funeral director only apprentices will be able to fulfill the apprenticeship between 24-48 months and an embalmer apprentice will be allowed a period of 12-18 months to serve the apprenticeship. The mortuary school requirement has not changed, individuals wanted to obtain an embalmer only or an embalmer in combination with a funeral director license must complete 12 months of school prior to serving the apprenticeship.
In addition to the change in apprenticeship length, the Board has implemented a very specific list of tasks which will have to be accomplished by apprentices. Currently, the apprentice submits either 25 or 50 case reports depending on which apprenticeship they are serving. While these reports encompass the basics of the profession, the Board realized that more specific requirements would benefit the apprentice, the master and eventually, the public. The new task lists cover all aspects of the profession, including basic office functions, upkeep and maintenance of the facility and additional training requirements.
The revisions to the apprenticeship program would not be successful unless the roles and responsibilities of the master were also addressed. The master training program will now include a segment specifically geared to the roles and responsibilities of a master embalmer/master funeral director. As a master, it is your duty to effectively train your apprentice to ensure they are gaining the upmost knowledge from your years in the profession. Unfortunately, it appears that some masters are still using their apprentices as simply cheap labor and are not committed to spending the time needed in training. This mindset does not benefit anyone. Effective January 2012, anyone wishing to assume the role of a master, will be required to provide proof of attending a master training seminar.
The intent of the Board is not to discourage individuals from obtaining licensure, but to protect the public by licensing only those candidates which are truly qualified to serve the industry. Although many may consider licensure as a right, the Board absolutely considers it to be a privilege which should be valued.
The Board will now begin the process of reviewing and updating Chapter 4717 of the Ohio Revised Code. In March, Board President, Bob Wasko, created two statutory review committees which will each be responsible for different sections of the laws. As these committees begin to re-shape the laws, the Board will solicit extensive input from OFDA. The need for change to portions of the law has been a repeated topic of discussion for the Board. While the basic construction of the revised code is still relevant to today’s industry, there are certain aspects which are somewhat antiquated and demand revisions based on the changes in the business over the past years. In addition to the topic of alkaline hydrolysis, the committees will be reviewing such items as the full-time manager requirement for each funeral home and the firm title requirements for funeral homes. As with the recent rule changes, the Board is devoted to ensure all law changes will be beneficial to the industry.
Please visit the Board’s website at www.funeral.ohio.gov to review all of the new rules and the task lists.