Swan Hill Cemetery, Ellesmere - Memorial Testing
Ellesmere Town and Rural Parish Councils jointly manage the cemetery at Swan Hill, Ellesmere. To comply with its duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 the council intends to embark on a systematic programme of inspection of all memorials, to remove and/or reduce the risk from those that are deemed to present a danger to those working in or visiting the cemetery.
This process will begin three months after the placing of this notice.
The regime of inspection and actions has been formulated using advice contained in the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management’s Code of Practice for the Management of Memorials, the Ministry of Justice’s Managing the Safety of Burial Ground Memorials and British Standard 8415, with adaptations to suit local conditions.
All staff involved in the inspection programme will receive appropriate training from the ICCM regarding inspections, and appropriate training in the safe use of any lifting or other appropriate equipment from the supplier of such equipment.
The Memorial Safety Testing Programme is an assessment of headstones and memorials to ensure that any that are found to be damaged, unsafe or in need of restoration are identified and the owners contacted where this is practicable.
Further information about this process can be found on the council’s website where the latest Memorial Safety Testing Policy is available.
Any persons having cause to request further information about this policy and the process are welcome to contact the Cemetery Co-Ordinator who is Andy Chatting, email cemetery@ellesmere-tc.gov.uk or call 07546 560 615.
