Funeral Home PPE Guide: Embalming Gowns, Thumb Loop Isolation Gowns, Gloves, Coveralls and Body Bags

A complete funeral home PPE guide: embalming gowns and thumb loop isolation gowns, gloves, coveralls, sleeves, respirators and body bags, with what to stock for each task.
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Embalmer in a blue plastic thumb loop isolation gown in a funeral home prep room

Every funeral home needs the same core PPE: a gown that sheds fluid, gloves that hold up, eye and face protection, and heavier coveralls and body bags for the hard cases. This guide sorts funeral supply PPE by task, so you can stock the prep room, the removal vehicle and the crematory from one source.

American Mortuary Equipment case of 100 blue thumb loop isolation gowns

Embalming gowns and thumb loop isolation gowns

The everyday prep room gown is a disposable polyethylene isolation gown with thumb loops. The film sheds blood and embalming fluid, the thin plastic thumb loop keeps the sleeve under your glove, and at under a dollar a gown you can change it every case. AME thumb loop isolation gowns come in blue and pink, 100 to a branded case, from $97.02 per case. See thumb loop isolation gown pricing and specs.

Blue polyethylene thumb loop isolation gown for embalming

PPE by task

Task Gown or garment Gloves Add
Routine embalming Thumb loop isolation gown or embalming coat 10 mil extended-cuff nitrile or 15 mil latex Face shield or goggles, Tychem sleeves
First-call removals Thumb loop isolation gown 6 mil nitrile Body bags, cot cover
Autopsy, trauma, decomposed cases PE-coated coverall with hood and boots or Tychem Double glove, extended cuff Respirator, chlorine-free body bag
Infectious disease decedents Disposable coverall over gown Double nitrile N95 or respirator; see infectious disease decedent care
Dressing, casketing, viewings Pink or blue isolation gown 6 mil nitrile Color-code by role
Crematory Crematory safety apparel Heat-rated gloves Half-mask respirator
Mass fatality and disaster Coveralls and gowns by the case Gloves by the case FEMA blue disaster body bags

Gloves

Pull gloves over the gown cuff, past the thumb loop. Heavy embalming work calls for high-risk extended-cuff gloves; removals and dressing are fine in standard nitrile. Buy exam gloves by the case alongside your gowns, since each gown change usually means a new pair. Many prep rooms also stock black gloves and latex gloves.

Pulling a blue nitrile glove over the plastic thumb loop of an isolation gown

Coveralls, sleeves and full-body protection

When fluid volume is high or the case is infectious, step up from a gown to a fluid-resistant embalming coverall, a breathable microporous coverall, an SMS coverall with hood or DuPont Tychem. Tychem 18-inch sleeves add a second layer over gown sleeves for arterial work.

Body bags and removal supplies

PPE planning includes containment. Our body bag guide covers heavy-duty 8-handle bags, chlorine-free cremation bags, orange water recovery bags, economy white bags and child disaster pouches, all sold by the case.

How much to stock

A common rule is one month of normal use on the shelf plus a surge reserve. Use our gown planning guide and the mass fatality PPE stockpile guide, and check the new funeral home PPE checklist and OSHA PPE requirements for embalmers.

Technician in a pink polyethylene thumb loop isolation gown

One source for funeral supply PPE

American Mortuary Equipment and Funeral Source One are your premier one source for funeral supply, from embalming gowns and mortuary PPE to embalming supplies, prep room equipment and funeral home supplies. Purchase orders, W-9s and bid packages go through the RFQ center.

AME thumb loop isolation gowns, 100 per case

Impervious polyethylene embalming gowns with thin plastic thumb loops, one universal size, in blue or pink. From $97.02 per case of 100, in 100-gown steps up to 1,000. See case pricing and specs or request a bulk quote.

More isolation gown guides

Related PPE guides

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Mortuary PPE · Embalming supplies & PPE · Exam gloves by the case · Extended-cuff gloves · Embalming coats & jackets · Disposable coveralls · PE-coated coverall with hood & boots · Microporous coverall · Tychem protective sleeves · Half-mask respirator · DuPont Tychem · Body bags · PPE price list

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