Environmental Public Health (Crematoria) Regulations

Environmental Public Health Act

(Chapter 95, Section 113)

Rg 6

G.N. No. S 282/1973

REVISED EDITION 2000

(31st January 2000)

[1st September 1973]

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Environmental Public Health (Crematoria) Regulations.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

“ashes” means the cremated remains of a corpse;

“caretaker” means a person appointed by the licensee or the Government, as the case may be, to take charge of a crematorium;

“corpse” means the dead human body or its remains whether decomposed or otherwise, but does not include ashes;

“crematorium” means a place used for the purpose of burning or cremating a corpse and includes every part of such premises;

“inspecting officer” means an inspecting officer who is authorised in accordance with the Registration of Births and Deaths Act (Cap. 267) to certify the cause of death of any deceased person;

“licence” means a licence issued under section 67 of the Act;

“licensee” means the holder of a licence;

“registered medical practitioner” has the same meaning as in the Medical Registration Act (Cap. 174);

“Superintendent” means the Superintendent appointed under regulation 3.

Appointment of Superintendent

3.—(1) The Commissioner may appoint a Superintendent for the purposes of these Regulations.

(2) The Superintendent shall, if so required, reside in such quarters as may be allocated.

Application for licence

4.—(1) Every application for a licence for the establishment of a crematorium shall be in Form A set out in the Schedule.

(2) A licensee shall surrender his licence upon its expiry, revocation, cancellation or suspension to the Commissioner or a public health officer.

(3) The fee for the grant or renewal of a licence shall be $120 per year.

Sole purpose of crematoria

5.—(1) No crematorial building shall be used for a purpose other than for the cremation of corpses.

(2) The crematorial building shall be separated from all other structures, erections or buildings by at least 6 metres.

(3) The crematorial building shall be of a permanent nature with concrete or brick walls and the floors shall be made of strong impervious material.

(4) All waste water shall be discharged into a sewer or other approved sewage treatment plant.

(5) Every crematorium shall be provided with adequate and functional toilet facilities and facilities for washing.

Fuel used for cremator

6. No fuel other than electricity, gas or oil may be used for the purpose of firing any cremator.

Prohibited cremations

7. No cremation of the remains of any deceased person shall be allowed by the licensee or the Superintendent —

(a)

if it is known that the deceased person has left a written direction to the contrary;

(b)

if the deceased person has not been identified;

(c)

unless a certificate as to the cause of death in respect of the deceased person has been issued —

(i)	by a registered medical practitioner; or
(ii)	by an inspecting officer and duly confirmed by a registered medical practitioner in the service of the Government; or

(d)

unless the death of the deceased person has been registered in accordance with the Registration of Births and Deaths Act (Cap. 267).

Application for cremation

8.—(1) An application for a permit to cremate a corpse and the permit to cremate a corpse shall be in such form as the Commissioner may require.

(2) Such application shall be made by —

(a)	an executor or nearest surviving relative of the deceased person;
(b)	a person who is authorised to do so by any of the persons mentioned in sub-paragraph (a); or
(c)	any other person who has given sufficient reason as to why the application is not made by an executor or nearest surviving relative of the deceased person.

Order for burial by Coroner

9. Notwithstanding regulation 7(c) and (d), cremation may be permitted if an application therefor is made in accordance with regulation 8, and a preliminary investigation has been held by the Coroner and an order for burial has been issued by him under sections 274 and 275 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cap. 68) in the case of every such body as is referred to in section 273 of that Code.

10.—(1) A register of cremations shall be kept in every crematorium, which shall be in such form as the Commissioner may require, and shall contain the following particulars:

(a)	the serial number of each cremation;
(b)	the date of each cremation;
(c)	the name, identity card number, address, occupation, age, sex and marital status of each deceased person cremated therein;
(d)	the date of death of each deceased person;
(e)	the name, identity card number and address of the person who applied for the cremation under regulation 8;
(f)	the name, designation and address of the person issuing the certificate of the cause of death of each person cremated;
(g)	the cause of death and the registration number of the death certificate of each person cremated; and
(h)	the manner in which the ashes of the person were disposed of.

(2) The particulars relating to each cremation shall be entered in the register immediately after each cremation has taken place, except that the entry relating to the disposal of the ashes of the person shall be completed as soon as such ashes have been disposed of in accordance with regulation 15.

(3) All applications, certificates and other documents relating to every cremation shall be preserved for 15 years from the date of the cremation to which they relate.

(4) The register of cremations shall be kept for such period of time as the Commissioner may direct.

(5) A copy of the register of cremations shall be kept at the office of the Commissioner and every copy shall be the property of the Commissioner.

(6) The details of cremations carried out in every month shall be entered in the register of cremations at the office of the Commissioner not later than the seventh day of the following month.

Inspection of register of cremations

11.—(1) The Commissioner or a medical officer of health, public health engineer or public health officer may —

(a)	at any time enter and inspect a crematorium;
(b)	examine any book, register of cremations or any other document relating to the crematorium; and
(c)	require from the licensee or caretaker or any other person such information as he may think necessary to determine whether the crematorium has been established and used, managed, maintained or operated or every cremation has been carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Act and these Regulations.

(2) Any of the officers mentioned in paragraph (1) may make or cause to be made copies of or extracts from such books, registers or documents.

(3) The licensee or caretaker or any other person who, being required by such officer under paragraph (1) to furnish information, without reasonable excuse fails to comply with the requisition shall be guilty of an offence.

Unauthorised cremations

12.—(1) The licensee shall ensure that all necessary precautions are taken to prevent unauthorised cremations from being carried out at the crematorium.

(2) The crematorium shall be available daily for the cremation of the remains of deceased persons of any race or religion between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

(3) The Superintendent, public health officer, licensee or caretaker shall be present at the crematorium at all times whenever a cremation is in progress.

Cleanliness

13. The crematorium and every part thereof shall be kept clean to the satisfaction of the Commissioner.

Ashes

14. Every crematorium shall be provided with proper facilities for the retention or disposal of ashes after cremation.

Disposal of ashes

15.—(1) The ashes may be collected by the person who applied for the cremation within 14 days after cremation.

(2) If the ashes are not collected after 14 days from the date of cremation, the ashes may be disposed of by the licensee or the Superintendent in or upon such land as may be reserved for such purpose.

Cremation of exhumed remains

16. The cremation of the remains of a deceased person who has been buried may be permitted by the Commissioner subject to such conditions as he may impose in an exhumation licence.

Caskets

17. The casket containing the remains of the deceased person shall —

(a)	be of wood or other material approved by the Commissioner ; and
(b)	have no glass or metal grip, lining, fastening or other similar attachments, or any other form of packing.

Fees

18. The fees for cremation at the Mount Vernon Crematoria shall be as follows:

(a) for the cremation of the remains of a child below 10 years of age

$50

(b) for the cremation of the remains of any other person

$100

Offences

19. No person shall —

(a)	carry out, permit or take part in the cremation of any corpse except in accordance with these Regulations;
(b)	make any false declaration or representation or sign any false certificate with a view to procuring the cremation of the remains of any deceased person; or
(c)	with intent to conceal the commission or impede the prosecution of any offence, procure or attempt to procure the cremation of the remains of any deceased person; or with such intent make any declaration or issue any certificate under these Regulations.

Penalty

20. Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

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