Crematorium Technician/Cemetery Worker

Spencer Lee is a senior crematorium technician at the City of London cemetery and crematorium. He is involved in all aspects of the service and actual cremation.

How would you outline your role?

I ensure that funeral services and cremations of the deceased are carried out in a dignified and professional manner and that the cremations comply with all relevant regulations. For instance, the Code of Crematorium Practice, which deals with the ethical standards, stipulates that cremation is always carried out on the same day as the service.

What are your main responsibilities?

There are three parts to my job, the first is working in the chapels and acting as a chapel attendant, looking after the deceased's relatives and friends, and organising the music. The second is overseeing the cremation itself and the third is helping people receive and dispose of the deceased's ashes; they may wish to scatter them in the Garden of Rest. After the cremation operation, I recover the remains and put these into a suitable and carefully identified container to await dispersal or collection.

What hours do you work?

I work roughly 40 hours a week, either 7.00am to 4.30pm, or 9.30am to 6.30pm.

What is your working environment like?

People might think a crematorium would be a dark and depressing place to work, but this is not true. It's clean and bright, even below ground level in the crematory itself. The grounds are also very peaceful and the whole atmosphere is one of calm and compassion.

Who do you work with?

I work with seven other members of staff and I am the youngest in the team. There are five technicians, one other senior technician and the crematorium manager.

What special skills or qualities do you need for your job?

The most important skill is dealing sympathetically with people who are in mourning and experiencing one of the most difficult times in their lives. It is necessary to understand how the cremation equipment works and you need computer skills for logging all the information.

Why did you choose this type of work?

I'd had experience working with the public, in customer services. I enjoyed that and saw this as a job where being sympathetic with people was both important and rewarding.

What training have you done?

My training has been mostly on the job, supervised by the manufacturers of the cremation equipment. There is a crematorium technicians training scheme run by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) and this involves a written and practical test.

Do you use any tools or equipment?

Yes, the cremator (used in the cremation operation) is a large piece of equipment. We have four of them below floor level and they need weekly maintenance using a variety of hand tools.

What do you like/dislike about your job?

I like helping people get through a difficult time, but I sometimes find it hard to separate myself from the grief people are expressing around me. The other drawback is that it's not the kind of work you can chat about openly with family or friends, because it's an exoerience most people don't like to think about.

What are the particular challenges in your work?

My biggest challenge is simply trying to make sure all the funeral services run as smoothly as possible. For instance, on a busy day we can be involved in more than 30 cremations.

How do you see your future?

I get satisfaction from my work and would like to be manager of a crematorium one day.

Spencer's route

• GCSEs.
• Studied electronic engineering at college.
• Worked in supermarket shop floor work and security management.
• Made career change to crematorium technician.

Spencer's tips

• Try to arrange work experience to see if you are suited to the job.
• Read about cremation and some of the regulations involved.

Related jobs

• Embalmer
• Funeral Director
• Hospital Porter

Salary information

Salaries are between £10,000 and £12,000, rising with experience to around £15,000. Senior staff in supervisory roles can earn £20,000.

Getting in

• No particular qualifications are needed, but the atmosphere of a crematorium might not suit everyone.
• There is on-the-job training and a scheme run by the Federation of British Crematorium Authorities.
• Passing the Federation's written and practical tests allows you to operate cremators unsupervised.