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Rick Kraus, vice-president of Premiere Transport Crematory Services, cremates an average of six bodies during his morning shift. Kraus smokes a cigarette in the freezer of the crematory before taking the next body for cremation.
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Bodies are brought into Premiere Transport Crematory Services from funeral homes all over the Tampa Bay area and stored in this freezer until ready for cremation. Florida law mandates that a body must be deceased for at least 48 hours before the cremation process begins. To ease back pain, Kraus chews on a plastic device that dispenses medication. |
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Kraus carefully checks each body for remaining jewelry before the cremation process begins. If any jewelry is found, Kraus sets it aside for the family of the deceased. |
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Midway through the cremation, Kraus looks in the oven. Temperatures in the cremation chamber are kept between 1400 and 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. |
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The time for cremation varies depending on the weight of the body, but Kraus' ovens cremate an average of 130 pounds an hour. |
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The remains of the cremated body are then swept from the oven. Larger bone fragments are still identifiable as Kraus is shown holding a part of the hip bone. |
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Kraus sweeps the bone fragments into a machine to be ground further into a uniform size. Ultimately, Kraus packages the ashes in a plastic bag with a brass plate for identification purposes and returns the remains to the funeral home. |
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Occasionally, the funeral home sends an urn with the body to Kraus' crematory, but in most cases Kraus simply uses a cardboard box as a temporary urn. |
