Memorial Safety Inspections

Stockton Borough Council is committed to providing a safe environment for everyone visiting our cemeteries.

Research shows that the average length of time that relatives actively visit graves is around 10 years, so many families may not be aware of the condition of their memorial.

While families are responsible for the upkeep and safety of the memorial upon their family grave, our duty to ensure that our cemeteries are safe for visitors and staff means that we must survey each memorial within our five cemeteries and ensure that they are safe.

Why are memorials being tested?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recognised the risk to the safety of visitors and employees working in cemeteries from unstable memorials. Under HSE guidelines, we are required to survey and test each memorial within our cemeteries at least every five years, to ensure that the potential danger from unstable memorials is minimised.

The inspection of memorials in the Borough's five cemeteries started in March 2007. In January 20101, the first round of inspections and repairs were completed. In that time over 25,000 have been inspected with 10,000 of them being subsequently repaired by our teams. The second round of memorial inspections and repairs are now under way.

How are memorials tested?

Memorials are first subjected to a visual inspection to detect any visible damage or cracking. A force is then applied by hand to determine the stability of the memorial.

Inspections are carried out by the Memorial Inspector according to the agreed National Guidelines for memorial safety testing.

What happens if the memorial is found to be unsafe?

If the memorial upon your family grave does not pass the safety test, we will ensure that it is made safe so as not to pose a risk of injury. We will write to the most recent contact address we have for the owner of the grave and also place a notice on the memorial. If you own a grave please tell us about any changes to your address so that we can contact you if a memorial is unsafe.

What should I do if I think my memorial might be unsafe?

The Memorial Inspector will test your memorial. The date of the test will depend upon the location of your family grave. Look out for notices in the cemetery, which will advise you of which sections are due to be inspected. Please contact Care for Your Area if you are worried that your memorial may fall before testing takes place.

Many memorial masons offer a routine memorial checking service. If you have taken out insurance on your memorial, or it is subject to a workmanship guarantee, you should contact your memorial mason to ensure that he or she carries out a condition survey in accordance with the terms of your policy or guarantee.

Since 2010, memorial masons are required to issue you with a Certificate of Compliance, valid for 30 years, after any new installation or re-fix. This certificate replaces period guarantees and offers an assurance that the memorial has been fitted in strict accordance with the recommendations by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM).

For further information about our memorial inspection programme, please contact Care for Your Area.