As part of the full review of the Councils regulations in the Boroughs cemeteries in 2004 inspections to all memorials were carried out  by an independent consultant .

 

A  letter sent to all local authorities from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) highlighted the Councils responsibilities with regard to memorial safety. The HSE is concerned that on rare occasions memorials have fallen over causing injuries to members of the public. To date there have been five fatalities across the UK (list attached). This is a national issue, and the Commission urges effective communication by local authorities to avoid adverse publicity and loss of public confidence.

 

Peter Mitchell  (an independent consultant) says, "These inspections are absolutely vital to ensure the safety of all users/visitors to the Borough cemeteries. There are thousands of memorials within the cemeteries, any one of which might be unstable and could cause injury. Havant Council is acting responsibly by identifying unstable memorials and making them safe"

 

Dawn Baxendale (HBC Corporate Director) said, "Although testing is still being carried out, it is apparent that a large proportion - perhaps up to 20% of memorials - require immediate remedial action. Owners of these plots are being contacted to seek their assistance in mitigating the risk to the public posed by these unsafe memorials.

 

These findings underline the Councils long standing concern with health and safety in the Boroughs cemeteries. We need the owners of these memorials to co-operate with us and bring them up to a safe standard. We appreciate the sensitivity of the issue but we cannot compromise the publics safety."

 

Where possible, the Borough Council is  providing temporary support to the memorials, rather than laying them down, until repair work can be carried out.  It is the owners responsibility to undertake repairs so that the memorials are maintained in a safe condition.

 

Anyone requiring further information or wishing to enquire about the condition of their memorial should contact the Borough Councils Cemeteries Service on 023 9244 6425.

 

The Borough Council is inspecting memorial safety in the Borough cemeteries at Warblington and Waterlooville Cemeteries and certain churchyards including St.Faiths at Havant, St.James at Emsworth and St Thomas-a-Beckett at Warblington.

 

Approximately 9,000 memorials have been inspected. A rolling programme as advised by the HSE is taking place.

 

 

3 year old boy crushed by gravestone - Fatal (Wear Valley)

 

2 year old child injured by falling gravestone - non fatal (Sunderland)

 

2 year old child injured by falling gravestone - non fatal ((Preston)

 

 

 

4 year old child trapped by falling headstone - non fatal (Westminster)

 

20 months child, struck by recently erected headstone - non fatal (Plymouth)

 

3 year old child, trapped by fallen headstone - non fatal (Port Talbot)

 

 

5 year old child, crushed by memorial - non fatal (Chester)

 

 

 

Young man killed in a Salford Churchyard - fatal (2003)