Food and drink, purses and briefcases, cigarettes and cosmetics, in short, anything that might transfer contaminants from the hands to the eyes, nose, or mouth, are banned from dissecting rooms. Gloves and masks are disposable. Dirty gowns go into laundry hampers. Paperwork that travels from the morgue to the District Attorney's office must be kept clean, so it remains outside the dissecting rooms. And people not required to work on the bodies are restricted from the area.
Architectural design keeps infection control and public visitation in mind.
Because of the safety risks, it is virtually impossible for lay people, even the curious writer with a research bent, to tour the inner recesses. After you read the design options described below, you can call your ME or hospital's Public Relations Department and get their specific variations on the typical theme. Normally, cadavers are wheeled in from the death scene zipped in a body bag or down from the hospital ward wrapped in sheets. Covered bodies are probably safe to handle, but recommendations by epidemiology experts continue to change. So, conscientious transporters usually protect themselves with gloves and a buttoned lab coat.