The Grave Gantry

Starting as a pilot program at Springvale Botanical Cemetery (SBC), we are introducing the Gantry to assist with lowering a coffin or casket into a grave. A Gantry is a coffin lowering device that will prevent anyone from accidentally falling into an open grave. The Gantry will be used for monumental graves and other graves where conditions allow.

As a safety-first organisation, we’re always looking for ways to improve our processes and this new initiative will provide a safer experience for families, funeral directors, and our staff.

Benefit to the community

The Gantry removes the need for family members and loved ones to assist with the lowering of the coffin or casket. This will reduce manual handling safety risks. When a Gantry is being used for a funeral, it will be set up prior to the funeral commencing to ensure a safe experience for our grieving families.

Back-fills, witness back-fills, throwing of sand and flowers are all possible with the Gantry. Where a witness back-fill is needed, an excavator will be used to remove the Gantry. There will be a delay of approximately 25 to 30 minutes to the funeral service to allow for this. The witness back-fill request process remains the same.

This video shows a demonstration of how the Gantry will be used for lowering a coffin during a funeral.