1. (a) In order to ensure the maximum inhibition of pathogenic organisms in the dead human body, the following minimum standards of performance shall be required of such licensed embalmer in the State of Texas in each instance in which he or she is authorized or required to embalm a dead human body.

   1. (1) Embalming shall be performed only by embalmers licensed by the commission, in properly equipped and licensed establishments, or in the event of a disaster of major proportions, in facilities designated by a medical examiner, coroner, or state health official. Only three types of people may assist licensed embalmers in embalming: provisional embalmers; students who are enrolled in an accredited school of mortuary science; and, in the event of a disaster of major proportions and with the prior approval of the executive director, embalmers licensed in another state as long as they are working with or under the general supervision of a person licensed as an embalmer in this state. It is not the intent of this rule to supersede §203.22 of this title (relating to Required Documentation for Embalming) which authorizes embalming using mortuary students.
   2. (2) In order to prevent those involved in the embalming procedure from becoming unwitting carriers of pathogenic organisms into the community, they shall be required to utilize such protective devices as sterilizable gloves, aprons, or operating gowns during the embalming procedure. Disposable garments and/or gloves shall be permitted.
   3. (3) Clothing directly exposed to contamination by pathogenic organisms shall either be burned or thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a solution having a phenol coefficient of not less than one before delivery to any person or before any further utilization.
   4. (4) The technique utilized to effect eye, mouth, and lip closure shall be any technique accepted as standard in the profession. Regardless of the technique chosen, the embalmer shall be required to achieve the best results possible under prevailing conditions.
   5. (5) The entire body shall be washed with an antiseptic soap or detergent. Fingernails, hair (including mustache and beard) shall be thoroughly cleaned, either before or immediately after arterial injection.
   6. (6) Body orifices (open lesions and surgical incisions, nostrils, mouth, anus, and vagina) shall be treated with appropriate topical disinfectants either before or immediately after arterial injection. After cavity treatment has been completed, body orifices shall be packed in cotton saturated with a suitable disinfectant of a phenol coefficient not less than one.
   7. (7) The arterial fluid to be injected shall be one commercially prepared and marketed with its percent of formaldehyde, or other approved substance, by volume (index) clearly marked on the label or in printed material supplied by the manufacturer.
   8. (8) The fluids selected shall be injected into all bodies in such dilutions and at such pressures as the professional experience of the embalmer shall indicate, except that in no instance shall dilute solution contain less than 1.0% formaldehyde, or an approved substance that acts the same as formaldehyde, and in no instance shall less than one gallon of dilute solution be used for each 50 pounds of body weight. Computation of solution strength is as follows.
2. (b) Minor variations in these procedures shall be permitted as long as they do not compromise the purpose of this rule as stated in subsection (a) of this section.
3. (c) A report form, approved by the Texas Funeral Service Commission, shall be completed on each case of embalming. The completed form shall be retained for a two-year period and be made available to the Texas Funeral Service Commission, upon request, for inspection.

Source Note:The provisions of this §203.16 adopted to be effective February 27, 1996, 21 TexReg 1271; amended to be effective June 25, 1997, 22 TexReg 5825.