FAQ for Mass Casualty and Outbreak Response Body Bags
Why is it important that a body bag be chlorine-free in a mass-casualty event?
Chlorine-free body bags are suitable for mass burials, mass cremations, burn pits, and similar uses. In a serious outbreak, cremations often increase. In places like West Africa during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, authorities at times burned bodies in public as needed to help contain the virus. Mass burials were also witnessed early in the COVID-19 pandemic in some locations.
Burning the more common PVC/vinyl-based body bags creates toxic airborne gases and should be avoided for obvious reasons.
Why are white body bags optimal in a mass-casualty event?
Some religions have strong convictions about dressing the recently deceased in white and strongly prefer the visuals and feelings associated with a “pure” white body bag. Any other color may be viewed as sacrilegious, whereas white is broadly accepted.
During the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa, loved ones of the recently deceased opposed first responders’ attempts to use black body bags, making removals physically difficult and sometimes leading to physical contact, thereby unnecessarily increasing the risk of disease transmission.
If the global community of first responders were to strategically stockpile a product suitable for use anywhere in the world during a mass-casualty event—and deployable to any population of any religion—it should be white to avoid offending the grieving at a time when a masked stranger may be trying to take their beloved deceased away.
Additionally, white material can easily be written on when toe tags or other supplies are scarce, which is important for identification purposes.
Are body bags with zippers suitable for pathogen containment? What is suitable?
BioSeal System5® is the only product designed to contain pathogens, because an electric heat sealer hermetically seals the bag closed, removing the need for zippers entirely. Whenever possible, hospitals and responders will use BioSeal, sanitize the exterior with disinfectant, and then use white body bags for handling and transportation.
This is the exact reason we make our “Hot Zone” kits: a three-layer body bag system containing a BioSeal bag and two white body bags, which, when used together, create a pathogen-free handling unit for hazardous and infectious human remains. BioSeal is white on the outside, which adheres to the preference for white described above.
Why do some body bags have a clear viewing panel under the top flap?
The main function of a body bag with a clear viewing panel is to help identify a decedent or to make quick observations of the decedent without opening the interior compartment, which may contain noxious odors, body-fluid splash risks, and various infection risks. Because standard zippers are not airtight or leakproof, the viewing panel does not provide 100% containment of pathogens. It provides a minimal barrier against hazards, a minor reduction in noxious odors, and protection for the viewer from potential physical contact with infectious fluids inside the bag. The secondary function of the viewing panel is to help reduce circumstances in which the decedent is “pickpocketed.”