Memorial Stability Programme

Safety of memorials in burial grounds is an issue of growing importance, after a number of accidents caused by falling memorials elsewhere in the country.

The Council, as the burial authority, has a duty of care to both cemetery visitors and the people who work there to ensure that all memorial stones are stable.

The Health and Safety Executive has advised local authorities and those responsible for cemeteries that steps must be taken to identify and deal with such hazards.

Memorials can become unstable for a variety of reasons. The soil around them may erode or subside. Corrosion and weathering will take their toll and fixings can deteriorate. Without maintenance to the memorial, this will eventually lead to stability problems.

The Memorial Stability Programme

Responsibility for memorials actually rests with the owner of the burial rights, usually the family or executors of the deceased. However, with the passage of time, these owners become increasingly difficult to trace and it falls to the Council to take steps to deal with any hazards.

To deal with this issue, the Council is commencing a programme to test the stability of memorials, starting with the older sections of Margate Cemetery this year. Eventually, this will widen to include the remainder of Margate Cemetery, the Crematorium Garden of rest and Ramsgate Cemetery and some churchyards within Thanet which are full and for which the Council has a maintenance responsibility. It will take several years to cover all these burial grounds and once the initial testing is completed, a rolling programme of re-testing will be implemented. In carrying out this work every care will be taken with the grave to ensure that the dignity of the burial ground is maintained.

Our contractor for this work will be certified by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management and will carry out their work in line with Institute recommendations. They will be checking each memorial to see if it will withstand a pressure of 35 kgs. This has been calculated to ensure that memorials can withstand a reasonable pressure, which may be experienced if someone slips and uses the memorial to stabilise themselves.

Unstable Memorials – What Happens

If unstable memorials are found, the Council will then take the following steps:

Repairs which can be done economically and easily will be carried out by the contractor.

If repairs are more extensive, then the memorial may be laid down upon the grave or the grave may be cordoned off and warning notices displayed. Gradually, as funds permit, those memorials where families are untraceable and where laying down is not a long term option, the Council will carry out basic safety repairs.

Where there is evidence of visiting, for example fresh flowers or recent inscriptions the Council will attempt to make contract with the owner to advise them that we need to discuss remedial work to the memorial with them. If no contact is possible, then the memorial will be laid down upon the grave or the grave may be cordoned off and a warning notice displayed.

For more information

If anyone has any concerns about any particular memorial within the cemetery, perhaps as an owner of burial rights or because a relative or friend is interred there, then please contact Mrs. Hilary Luck, the Crematorium and Cemeteries Registrar at Thanet Crematorium, Manston Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 4LY.

Tel: 01843 22 99 42
Fax: 01843 29 22 18

e-mail: crematorium@thanet.gov.uk

Office hours are Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

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