SECTION 479.3. Standards for Facilities

(a) Health standards.

(1) Dissection facilities. Dissection areas must be clean, well ventilated, and well lighted. The floor should be of a composition that can be easily cleaned and nonskid. Tables and tanks must be conducive to easy cleaning and to the long-term preservation of cadavers.

(2) Storage facilities. Storage facilities must be conducive to long-term storage of bodies and conducive to the health of personnel who must work in the area. It should be of sufficient size to handle, without undue crowding, the total of one year's use and receipt of bodies.

(3) Preparation area. The preparation area must be clean, well ventilated, and well lighted. It must be fully equipped with table and drain of approved type and the equipment necessary for satisfactory embalming. All construction must be of a type conducive to easy cleaning.

(4) Embalming. The embalming formula shall be appropriate to the long-term preservation of cadavers and will not present a health hazard to persons dissecting.

(b) Technical support. Member institutions who directly accept Willed Body Program donations must employ a State of Texas Licensed Funeral Director to supervise transport of cadavers and anatomical specimens and a State of Texas Licensed Embalmer to perform embalming procedures. If the institution is unable to employ these licensed individuals, they must maintain a current valid contract with a Licensed Funeral Director and Licensed Embalmer to perform these procedures.

(c) Safety standards.

(1) Air exchange. All dissecting and preparation areas must have sufficient air-handling machinery to provide for not less than seven full changes of air per hour.

(2) Storage of hazardous chemicals. All hazardous chemicals shall be stored in a separate and approved facility or area. Explosive or flammable chemicals must be properly stored.

(3) Dangerous fumes. Particular attention must be given to holding the concentrations of all dangerous or hazardous fumes to an absolute minimum. Suitable air-handling equipment, appropriate storage, and careful handling are essential.

(d) Public welfare.

(1) Visibility. All areas where human bodies are handled must not be visible from the outside of the building or so located that the public has ready visibility of transport, preparation, or dissection in progress.

(2) Accessibility. All areas used for receipt and preparation, storage, or dissection of human bodies must be inaccessible and inadmissible to the general public and all unauthorized personnel. All areas must have appropriate locks. Only personnel concerned with the preparation of cadavers should have access to storage and preparation areas. Storage areas should be securely locked at all times when bodies are not being placed in or removed from storage. Search organizations and forensic science programs may use anatomical specimens in field locations provided that those locations are not accessible to the public, and access is restricted to search organization personnel while the anatomical specimens are in use.

Source Note: The provisions of this §479.3 adopted to be effective January 1, 1976; amended to be effective September 11, 2016, 41 TexReg 6754; amended to be effective November 19, 2019, 44 TexReg 7056