Body Bag
Body Bag
⚠️ Some of the information in this entry may be disturbing to some readers.
A body bag is a sealed, usually waterproof bag used to contain and transport a person who has died. They are commonly used when a person is transferred from a hospital, the care of a coroner or another facility, particularly where the circumstances of the death require the person to remain contained and identified.
Not always necessary. Body bags are a practical transport and containment product rather than something that must be used for every person who has died. In our practice, we generally avoid using them where circumstances allow. When collecting someone from a private residence, for example, we will often use a sheet or other appropriate covering instead.
Hospital and coroner collections. People collected from hospitals, coroners or similar facilities will commonly already be in a body bag. The type of bag used can vary, including the type of plastic from which it is manufactured. PVC is generally avoided where alternatives are available.
Lightweight and inexpensive. Body bags are generally inexpensive, lightweight products rather than heavy-duty equipment. They need to be handled with some care, particularly when opening and closing the zipper, as the plastic and stitching can be relatively easily damaged.
How the zipper is fitted. A common way of manufacturing a body bag is to first create and seal the bag itself and then sew the zipper onto it. Once the zipper has been attached, the bag can be opened and a blade used to create the actual opening underneath the zipper. This is a simpler manufacturing process than trying to sew the zipper into an already-open bag.
The zipper. Most body bags have a zipper running around the opening, often with two toggles that meet when the bag is closed. The zipper needs to be operated carefully so that the teeth do not catch the plastic or the material around the opening. The sound and feel of the zipper is also one of the practical reasons we prefer not to use body bags where they are unnecessary. What is an ordinary piece of transport equipment in another setting can feel confronting in the context of caring for a person who has died.
A document pocket. Body bags commonly have a pocket for legal or identification documents. This provides a secure place for paperwork that needs to remain with the person during transfer.
Queensland Health identification. When a person is transferred from a Queensland Health facility, they will usually have a patient identification label attached to the person, their clothing and the body bag. These are the familiar labels commonly seen on hospital patients. They contain identifying information such as the person’s name, date of birth, address and Queensland Health patient identification number, helping ensure that the person remains correctly identified throughout their care and transfer.
Police and coronial identification tags. Where a death has been reported to the coroner under Queensland law, the person may arrive with a Police identification tag attached to the body bag. This can remain in place even when the Coroner has determined that an autopsy is not required.
The tag is typically secured with wire, rather than being something that can simply be unclipped. Wire cutters are therefore required to remove it when the person is released into the care of the funeral service provider.
A temporary part of care. A body bag is generally a means of safely containing and identifying a person during transport or while they are in the care of a hospital, police or coroner. It is not intended to be part of the funeral itself. Once the person is in the care of the funeral service provider, they may be transferred into another form of care appropriate to the family’s arrangements.