One thing to consider. I think I am correct in saying, if by removing the central handrail the distance between remaining handrails exceeds 1800mm then this is unacceptable due to building regs. Hope this helps Craig

There is no need to keep the coffin in a horizontal position and that may provide a solution. I went to a funeral of an uncle of mine just a few years ago and though the church was a very traditional stone built structure the service hall was on the first floor. A small slightly winding staircase led to the first floor with an additional small lift for the infirm....and the deceased. With barely enough room to swing a cat in the lift, I was amazed that the funeral directors got the congregation seated and only then put the coffin into the lift, on its end, and sent him upstairs for the service (nearer my God, and all that?). At the end of the service, the coffin was carried out to the lift while the congregation remained seated and down he went, on end, as he came up. I was somewhat amused by this, but it was done with great care and in a perfectly decent and respectable way with much decorum, and there was no distress caused to anyone. Just takes a bit of discretion, obviously managed by the church and all of those funeral directors that work there.

Hi Decimonal I agree with safety smurf - think outside the box. Can you not have them cremated so you can carry them up in an urn. Hope this helps

Thank you all for the responses so far. My comments are: One thing to consider. I think I am correct in saying, if by removing the central handrail the distance between remaining handrails exceeds 1800mm then this is unacceptable due to building regs. Hope this helps Craig Thank you Craig – that is one query answered. Thinking outside of the box, assuming the coffin is being borne on the bearers shoulders. Can they go up either side of the bannister? Has been considered and may be an option There is no need to keep the coffin in a horizontal position and that may provide a solution. I went to a funeral of an uncle of mine just a few years ago and though the church was a very traditional stone built structure the service hall was on the first floor. A small slightly winding staircase led to the first floor with an additional small lift for the infirm....and the deceased. With barely enough room to swing a cat in the lift, I was amazed that the funeral directors got the congregation seated and only then put the coffin into the lift, on its end, and sent him upstairs for the service (nearer my God, and all that?). At the end of the service, the coffin was carried out to the lift while the congregation remained seated and down he went, on end, as he came up. I was somewhat amused by this, but it was done with great care and in a perfectly decent and respectable way with much decorum, and there was no distress caused to anyone. Just takes a bit of discretion, obviously managed by the church and all of those funeral directors that work there. Worth considering, but as you say, discretion (and dignity etc) is the key Are you really contemplating bearing the coffin up flights of stairs? Is this not the very definition of unsafe? I've had the honour of bearing a coffin in the past and it's not easy. It's heavy, very heavy, even for the fit and strong. The idea that you're going to also take it up stairs seems wrong to me. How are you going to prevent it from slipping? Mick Tricky one given the issue of commercial interests – if they do not do it, somebody else will. However, the manual handling aspect is being considered. I agree with safety smurf - think outside the box. Can you not have them cremated so you can carry them up in an urn. Hope this helps I don’t think this is an option

Divine intervention solved the problem - the Pastor has put a stop on the coffin coming up to the first floor as there is no realistic and dignified solution. Many thanks for the input.

Coffins and dead bodies not being my field, but how do undertakers and the like tackle situations where the deceased have to be recovered and there are tight corners and stairwells to negotiate?

This is a bit toung in cheek. The person id dead. The family are very sad, but they are kept out of the way by the undertaker until the body is agin presented in a nice coffinf, in a nice place which seems very respectful and takes full account of the berieved family concerns. That is not to say there are some strange things that go on behind the scenes. This is afact of life, I have seen some very strange behaviour toward bodies (often quite funny) but it is about the living that care is taken, so what the eye dont see dont matter comes to mind.

I am told that this is something not normally done because the person is prepared in such a way so as to stop potential leakage, but the deceased is not restrained in any way inside the coffin and so when tipped they may move about and exert unintended pressure on the lid or sides which may then come loose.