Headstone safety
Wyre council has a duty of care to all workers and visitors to the cemetery and therefore headstones are checked for stability as part of our memorial management and safety policy. This is required by the Health and Safety Executive - the central government agency responsible for the general health and safety in public areas.
However, the headstones are the families responsibility to maintain in a safe condition while in the cemetery. The memorial mason has the responsibility to ensure it is fitted to the NAMM (National Association of Memorial Masons) standards and has the required fixer license as issued by BRAMM (British Register of Approved Memorial Masons).
Each cemetery is inspected every five years. A visual and hand test are carried out by officers in a professional and respectful manner and any unsafe memorial will have a notice attached and/or temporary supports. We then endeavour to contact the registered grave owner by letter. If we have not contacted you, it may be because we do not have a record of your current address.
All headstones in Poulton New Cemetery and Fleetwood Cemetery will be tested in 2022/23.
For more information, or to advise us of your intentions to have the headstone re-fixed please contact us