It is not incidentally the older Victorian memorials that are the major cause of concern but in many cases headstones placed within the last 30 years. The industry is now addressing these failures and giving guidelines to stonemasons and cemetery managers on the installation of new headstones.
If you engage members/volunteers to do tasks in your cemetery or on property used by your association/ group/ charity you must hold Employers' Liability Insurance cover.
Under HSE Regulations volunteers must be treated equally as paid employees would be in any organisation.
If arranging a guided walk or accompanying members of the public to search for a grave give a summary of risks appropriate to your cemetery:
- low level tree branches
- kerbs partly hidden by grass
- roots of trees penetrating walkways
- leaning or propping up against a headstone
- hidden dangers such as rat urine on stonework, weeds and grasses
- slippery paths especially after periods of heavy rain
- hypodermics or drug equipment discarded in the area
- bottles or broken glass
Obligation on cemetery authorities to contact the owners of graves in the case of an unstable state
Each local council or owner of a cemetery should have a system in place to access risks in a cemetery and to contact burial rights owners or relatives where known if possible before dismantling any stonework. The Wyre Forest District Council guide on memorial safety is clear and comprehensive and a good example of what is required of a local authority. Click here
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Looking after the health and safety of your members - a few suggestions
Carry out and record in a permanent way a Health and Safety risk assessment and regularly update it with a record of any alterations or additions to be held by a nominated person eg Chairman of the group.
Ensure that volunteers are aware of the dangers of sun exposure including sunstroke and long term damage to the skin. Encourage the wearing of hats or scarves.
On arrival at the site the team leader should prepare a list of attendees with a contactable telephone number to be used in case of illness or emergencies.
Cemeteries do not normally have toilets but some thought should be given to this such as making an agreement with a nearby building such as a pub or even private dwelling as it is not fair on the volunteers to go long periods without access to these facilities.
When working regularly in cemeteries there is a risk of infection via cuts or grazing and it is suggested that a tetanus vaccination is useful but the individual should discuss this with a health professional.
Ear defenders varying from plugs to ear muffs are essential if working near machinery such as grass strimmers, chain saws, bark chippers or drills on a regular basis or for long periods.
It is best practice that one or two members of the group issue and collect all tools, clean and rub with an oiled cloth and replace any worn or broken tools and store them in a dry, safe environment if appropriate under a locked or padlocked storage and out of reach of children or inexperienced persons.
The team leader should regularly remind members on the safe carriage and handling of tools and for insurance purposes persons handling chain saws or specialised power tools need a safety assessment ticket issued by a competent authority such as BTCV or the local authority or safety training unit at say a university or college. All new volunteers to the group should be given a demonstration of safe tool handling especially of loppers etc and reminded of the dangers present in a cemetery environment. The handling of herbicides and similar products may have to be approved under the COSHH regulations set by the Health and Safety Commission and you are advised to check the requirements
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Weil's Disease and other infections from rats
Rats can transmit approximately 14 diseases or infections to humans - some via their fleas and the most well known Weil's Disease via their urine or more rarely by biting.
The rat population is growing at an alarming rate. Milder winters, a decline in raptor birds in some areas, junk food and general rubbish, resistance to tradition poisons such as Warfarin and cut backs in local government expenditure on health and environmental controls all contribute to the problem. There is now a species completely resistant to poisons wherein their DNA has developed adding a factor that makes them immune to known poisons. the only way to control these is by trapping or air gun shooting or the use of terriers*. Adding to the problem [fortunately a very small minority] are the people who go out with bags of waste food to feed them.
* a clause in the Hunting Bill 2005 permits the use of dogs and ferrets in the hunting of rats and rabbits
Some of our cemeteries have wildlife or eco-friendly areas so poisons and traps are not used. Some authorities use metal bait boxes where the rat has to enter a tube to collect the bait but of course other species may also be tempted to try them.
In some places regular shoots with air guns take place to help to keep the numbers down.
When working in a cemetery there is a high possibility that you will come across rats or traces of urine and it is essential that proper precautions are taken to prevent any contact. The urine is constantly sprayed to mark territory and in many cases remains pungent for some weeks, even heavy rain does not break it down. The harmful bacteria survives best in damp grass or in water.
Certain professions are at greater risk of catching Weil's Disease but what is not generally appreciated is that dogs eating or licking grass are also likely to catch it. Vets have from time to time carried out PM's and found that Weil's Disease was the cause of death.
Normally the infected urine enters the body via a cut or sore or by a hand touching the nose, the lips or on food taken with unwashed hands etc. One recent death was a man rolling his own cigarettes and licking the edge to seal the paper after working in a rat infested garden. However it must be stressed that only a small percentage result in death but the experiencing of the disease can be very unpleasant.
Normally GP's and hospitals would be aware of the higher risk to sewage workers, slaughter men. farm labourers, cavers and people working with pools of water [including gypsies and travellers washing in streams] and would be 'tuned' in to diagnose the symptoms. However people not normally in contact with the rat population could be incorrectly diagnosed as some of the symptoms are similar to gastric 'flu. So an office worker who helps out in a cemetery friends group or a pensioner who picks up litter in a churchyard would not necessarily be picked out as a potential Weil's victim. Therefore if you unwell and seek medical assistance tell the doctor that occasionally you work in a rat infested area.
The incubation period is 7 to 14 days, a fever develops, muscular pain, loss of appetite and vomiting. Later there may be surface bruising on the skin, sore eyes, nose bleeds and jaundice. The hospital can via a blood sample make an early diagnosis so again it is essential that the patient should identify that there may have been in contact with infected urine.
Groups working in a cemetery should always wear gloves and if tap water and paper towels are not available then either wipes or the appropriate anti-biotic hand gel should be available and the development of a 'clean up' two minutes practice as the session ends [or before a break for food etc] should be encouraged.
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