Memorial safety

If you own or know someone who visits a grave within any cemetery that Plymouth City Council is responsible for we would like to hear from you?

We would encourage anyone to register their interest in a grave and to check that the contact details that we have are correct and up to date.

The following information is aimed to explain why it is necessary for us to check all memorials within our cemeteries every 5 years.

What we have done to raise awareness that inspections are taking place?

• Notices have been placed in all of our cemeteries
• Advertisements have been placed in the local press and will be publicised at regular intervals

Why are we testing memorials?

During recent years there have been several incidents involving unsafe memorials, a number of these have been fatal.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) require every Burial Authority to inspect all memorials at least once every 5 years, and take necessary steps to make safe any memorial found to be unstable.

The HSE have the power to close any cemetery that they feel is unsafe or where the council does not have a suitable inspection programme in place.

We appreciate that the laying down of any memorial can cause distress to bereaved families, but our priority has to be for the safety of all of our visitors and those working within our cemeteries.

What do we do if we find an unsafe memorial?

In 2003 we began a rolling programme inspecting all memorials. The inspection is carried out by trained staff. Firstly a visual inspection is carried out noting the type of memorial and its condition.

The memorial is then tested for stability; if the memorial is found to be unsafe the following procedure is implemented:

• Immediate risk - the memorial will be laid down
• Not an immediate risk but requires attention - the memorial will be identified with a warning sign and tape.
• Low risk - further inspection will be carried out in 1 year
• No risk - further inspection in 5 years

Who is responsible for the safety of a memorial?

Responsibility for the memorial rests with the deed holder or owner of the grave. Memorials that have been erected more recently will be guaranteed by your chosen stonemason. In many cases, memorials are very old and the deed holder/owner has either moved away or has passed on and no family member is currently maintaining the memorial.

What we do to contact the owners of unsafe memorials?

If a memorial is found to be unsafe and/or in need of repair a letter is sent to the address that we have recorded. In many cases we find that our records have not been updated when families move away which is why we would encourage anyone with an interest in any grave to contact our staff to check that our records are correct.

In addition notices have been placed around the grounds to advise visitors that regular inspections are taking place.

What you should do if you are advised that your memorial is unsafe?

We realise that this may be upsetting for you and would like to apologise for any distress it may cause. If your memorial has to be laid down in order to make it safe you can choose to:

• advise the cemetery staff that you do not wish to have it repaired and we will ensure that it is safe
• have the memorial fixed by a Plymouth City Council registered monumental mason

If your memorial has been taped and has a sign warning that it is need of repair you can:

• have the memorial fixed by a Plymouth City Council registered monumental mason
• give your permission to have the memorial laid flat or buried with the inscription still visible

If you choose to have your memorial repaired please do not attempt to do this yourself. Only Plymouth City Council registered monumental mason’s or cemetery staff who have undertaken appropriate training are permitted to carryout this type of work.

For further information on headstone testing or for independent advice please contact The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, details in the right hand column.

Documents

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Local Government Ombudsman special report - memorial safety in Local Authority cemeteries. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 86.9KB

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