Memorial Inspections & Procedures
Havant Borough Council is committed to providing a safe
environment for those visiting our cemeteries. To comply with
current guidelines from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
www.hse.gov.uk we are now required to inspect every headstone in
all our cemeteries to ensure that these are in a stable condition,
and do not pose any immediate danger to visitors and staff working
in the cemeteries.
The guidelines from the
HSE
have been issued to all
burial authorities following a number of deaths and injuries in the
United Kingdom in cemeteries caused by falling headstones. If you
are a plot owner or a regular visitor to any of our cemeteries
please read on.
Background
Since Victorian times memorials have been erected at the head of
graves as a permanent reminder of those buried within. It has often
been wrongly assumed that memorials are permanent structures,
installed to the highest standards, and will last forever without
any need for repair. Unfortunately, this assumption has cost the
lives of six people in the past 12 years, most of whom have been
children, and there have been countless accidents ranging from
bruising to severe crush injuries and bone breakages. For more details see this inventory
>>
Following research into memorials it is clear that Cemetery
Managers now have to tackle years of neglect and poor workmanship,
although the memorials do not belong to them: they are still the
property of the owner of the grave rights.
Why are we testing memorials?
Cemetery Managers have a responsibility, under the Health and
Safety at Work Act 1974, to ensure that risks within their
cemeteries are properly managed. The
HSE
is concerned about
memorial stability and has brought in requirements for burial
authorities to inspect memorials at least every 5 years, making
safe any memorials that fail the inspection process.
Some cemeteries that have been found with high numbers of unsafe
headstones in their cemeteries have had “improvement notices”
placed on them by the
HSE
, which can result in
cemeteries being closed down until they have been made safe. This
affects members of the public who wish to visit friends and
relatives buried in the cemetery and who want to hold funerals
during this time. The cemetery’s management is faced with a ‘no
win’ situation: testing and making safe memorials may cause upset
to bereaved families, but someone could be injured or killed if it
is not done. We must then consider the safety of visitors to the
cemetery a priority.
How will we be doing this?
We will be continuing an inspection programme on all headstones
and memorials in our three cemeteries. The safety testing is to
assess whether memorials can withstand a reasonable pressure, such
as that which may be applied to the memorials by users of the
cemetery, for instance, should they slip and use the memorial to
try and stabilise themselves.
The safety testing will involve visually inspecting the
memorials for signs of instability and testing them with a
calibrated instrument that applies a measured 35kg force. Our staff
have been trained in the use of the approved equipment for carrying
out these tests, in order to identify the potential dangers of
unstable memorials. Those headstones and memorials that are found
to be unsafe will be carefully secured or laid down.
What happens if the headstone moves?
If movement of the memorial is detected, details of the grave
number and section are noted. Our burial registers are then checked
for information regarding the present owner and address. We will
write to the named person and advise them of the situation. (If the
memorial is under guarantee we will contact the stonemason).
What do you need to do?
If any of your details change please contact the Cemeteries
Office. Be aware that cemeteries are potentially dangerous places.
Visitors to cemeteries should keep to footpaths, avoid touching any
memorials and ensure that children are supervised at all times.
What to do if you are advised that your memorial is unsafe
We understand that this may be upsetting for you, and are sorry
for any distress. Please do not attempt to repair or remove
memorials yourself, they are very heavy and for your own safety,
and that of others, only qualified stonemasons should carry out
this kind of work.
If you have any concerns or questions about the testing please
contact the Cemeteries Office.
Cemeteries Service, 2 Penner Road, Havant, Hampshire,PO9
1QH.
Telephone 023 9244 6425
E-mail: cemeteries@havant.gov.uk