Memorial safety

We have a duty of care to ensure that memorials in our cemeteries and closed churchyards are safe.

We test the stability of memorials by hand using a force no greater than 25kg. All staff who undertake memorial inspections and tests are appropriately trained to do so.

Where memorials are found to be in a dangerous or unstable condition we shall make safe by either:

• laying down the memorial
• staking and banding the memorial
• cordoning off the area
   

A notice shall be fixed to the memorial explaining that it has failed. The owner of the exclusive right of burial will be notified of this in writing.

Owners are asked to contact a monumental mason who will apply to us to undertake appropriate repairs within 28 days. If the memorial has not been suitably repaired after this time we may take steps to permanently make the memorial safe.

Memorials will only be laid down when:

• a genuine and immediate risk to health and safety is apparent
• there is unlikely to be a living or traceable owner
• the last burial was undertaken more than 30 years ago