Stonemasons registration scheme

Stonemasons registration scheme policy

1.0 Introduction

1.1 The memorial masons registration scheme aims to establish a uniform standard of workmanship and working practices in the council’s cemeteries. The scheme will address the standards required for the installation, repair and maintenance of memorials, both new and existing, insurance cover, health and safety requirements and administrative requirements with a view to producing a common standard. Through adoption of this scheme it is the intention to identify and promote compliance with industry best practice by all registered participants.

2.0 Aims

2.1 To ensure that memorial masons working within council cemeteries operate to the highest standards of workmanship and competence. The council’s ultimate objectives are to ensure that the council’s cemeteries meet all Health and Safety standards and are safe environments for working in or visiting.

3.0 Scope of the scheme

3.1 The scheme will be available to any memorial mason who presently works, or intends to work, within the council’s cemeteries.

3.1.1 Following the implementation of the scheme those memorial masons not registered under this scheme will not be permitted to work within any cemetery under the management of the council.

3.1.2 The memorial mason must ensure that any work carried out is in full compliance with the scheme and the council’s Cemetery Regulations, and that any persons employed by them directly or as a sub-contractor complies with the same.

4.0 Requirements of the scheme

4.1 All registered participants to the scheme will be expected and obliged to adhere to the requirements of this scheme. These are the minimum acceptable requirements of the council and may be up-dated from time to time. Memorial masons are welcome to exceed these requirements and will be encouraged to propose suggestions or ideas that they believe will improve or enhance the scheme. Any suggestions or ideas adopted by the council will be applied equally to all registered participants.

4.2 Eligibility

4.2.1 Memorial masons who have been excluded from performing work in any Corby cemetery owned by North Northamptonshire council, within the previous 2 years will not be eligible to join the scheme. In these instances each case will be considered individually and membership offered, or withheld, at the discretion of the Head of Planning and Environmental Services. Memorial masons must submit details of such disciplinary actions with their application to join the scheme. Failure to disclose details of disciplinary actions, which subsequently come to the attention of the Head of Planning and Environmental Services, may result in the immediate expulsion from the Registration Scheme and the imposition of an immediate ban on working within the council’s cemeteries for a period of 2 years.

4.3 Insurance requirements

4.3.1 General Risk - Every participant on the Registration Scheme shall be insured for Public Liability to the value of £5,000,000 for any one incident.

4.4 Workmanship, Materials and Construction

4.4.1 Every participant shall guarantee each individual memorial in respect of safety and stability for a period of no less than 5 years.

4.4.2 All memorial masons registering on the scheme, and any sub-contractors they employ, must be able to demonstrate an acceptable standard of workmanship, to the approval of the Head of Planning and Environmental Services. Memorial masons and their staff or sub-contractors shall be suitably qualified, experienced and competent to perform all works necessary when erecting, dismantling and repairing memorials to meet current industry standards and statutory Health and Safety requirements and guidelines.

4.4.3 The standard of workmanship will be evidenced by qualifications obtained from an accreditation scheme operated by a recognised industry body, for example the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) or the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM). In-house company schemes will be recognised if they meet the required standards. A letter detailing the qualifications and experience of each member of staff or contractor and, where available, trade references should accompany the application for registration.

4.5 Registration scheme compliance

4.5.1 Compliance with current Health and Safety legislation is imperative and memorial mason’s will be expected to provide a health and safety policy (where required by law) and a suitable set of risk assessments and safe methods of working covering the full range of work they may expect to carry out in the cemeteries.

4.5.2 Each memorial mason signing the ‘Memorial Masons Registration Scheme Application Form’ will be deemed to have agreed to comply with the following:

• Local Authority Cemetery Order 1977
• the most recent copy of North Northamptonshire council's Corby cemetery regulations
• British Standard 8415
• Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974
• all other relevant statutory requirements

4.5.3 All Memorial Masons are required to indemnify the council in respect of their work.

5.0 Procedures for the erection of memorials

5.1 All memorials installed by the participants of this scheme must fully comply with all of the council’s standard administration and operational procedures.

5.2 Application to Erect a Memorial

5.2.1 An application for all proposed memorials and inscriptions must be submitted to the Head of Planning and Environmental Services for approval on the form supplied and all appropriate fees paid, prior to any works being undertaken on site.

5.3 Erection of Memorials and Additional Work to Memorials

5.3.1 Memorials must not be erected, nor shall any additional work be carried out to a memorial unless the Memorial Application Form has been approved, and a Permit issued. All memorials shall be erected to conform to British Standard 8415.

5.3.2 Following the erection of a memorial it should be noted that they may be subject to inspection within the first 5 years following installation to ensure health and safety requirements are met. Memorial masons should take this into consideration in their Guarantee. The Guarantee should include all joints that fail during the period of the Guarantee. All joints shall be repaired within 1 month of being notified.

6.0 Inspection of memorials

6.1 Council staff may inspect the erection of a memorial either, as the work proceeds, or shortly after the work is completed. Where work is found to be unacceptable, either not conforming to the British Standard 8415 or any other reason, the Head of Planning and Environmental Services will instruct the memorial mason to return and rectify the work to meet the council’s standards.

7.0 Post work inspection

7.1 Council staff may inspect a memorial following erection, or completion of other work, either as part of routine monitoring and maintenance, or in response to a complaint from the public or council staff. Where there is reasonable doubt that the work does not conform to these specifications, the Head of Planning and Environmental Services may instruct the memorial mason to dismantle their work in order to verify compliance with the scheme’s standards. In the event that work does not meet the required standards the memorial mason will re-erect the work to the appropriate standards, the costs of dismantling and re-erection in these circumstances being their responsibility. In the event that the work complies with the required standards the costs of dismantling and re-erection will be the responsibility of the council.

8.0 Tendering

8.1 From time to time the council may require tenders to be submitted for a range of memorial work, including inspection, repair, removal and replacement of memorials. Memorial masons registered under this scheme shall be eligible for registration on all such lists.

9.0 Disciplinary procedures

9.1 To ensure that the council standards are maintained and that all participants to the Registration Scheme are operating uniformly to these standards the Head of Planning and Environmental Services will operate a disciplinary procedure which shall be applied fairly to all participants of the scheme.

9.2 The disciplinary procedure will be based on the Rules of this Registration Scheme:

• Stage 1 - Minor Breach of the Rules or Specification: A minor breach of the Rules or Specification will result in a Verbal Warning given by the Scheme Administrator, assuming the breach is corrected immediately. A Verbal Warning shall be maintained on the memorial mason’s record for a period of 12 months then, if no further breaches occur, the warning will be removed from the record.
• Stage 2 - Breach of the Rules or Specification: A breach of the Rules or Specification will result in a Written Warning issued by the Scheme Administrator, assuming the breach is corrected immediately. A Written Warning shall be maintained on the memorial mason’s record for a period of 18 months then, if no further breach occurs, the warning will be removed from the record.
• Stage 3 - Subsequent Breach of the Rules or Specification: If, during the 18 month period, imposed by Stage 2, another breach of the Rules or Specification is committed, or the original Stage 2 breach is not rectified immediately or to the satisfaction of the Head of Planning and Environmental Services this will result in the issue of a Final Written Warning. A Final Written Warning shall be maintained on the memorial mason’s record for a period of 36 months then, if no further breach occurs, the warning will be removed from the record.

9.3 Gross Misconduct

9.3.1 Certain circumstances shall be considered Gross Misconduct and will not be subject to the above stages of the disciplinary procedure. The Head of Planning and Environmental Services will decide, at his discretion, the instances of Gross Misconduct. The following list - though not exhaustive - will be considered as Gross Misconduct:

• installation or erection of a memorial not approved by the Head of Planning and Environmental Services.
• refusal to rectify an error in the installation or erection of a memorial when instructed to do so by the Head of Planning and Environmental Services.
• abusive or aggressive behaviour to any council staff or members of the public.
• failure to adhere to the council’s latest edition of the Cemetery Regulations or the conditions of Permit Application.
• causing nuisance within the curtilage of the councils’ cemeteries

9.4 Exclusion from the registration Scheme

9.4.1 Exclusion from the Registration Scheme will result when memorial masons are found guilty of Gross Misconduct or commit a further breach of the Rules or Specification whilst the 36 month term, as described in Stage 3, is in effect. An exclusion from the Registration Scheme will be for a period of 2 years, during this period a memorial mason will be forbidden to undertake any work within the council’s cemeteries. In instances of exclusion for Gross Misconduct the Head of Planning and Environmental Services may consider advising other local authorities of the circumstances, at their discretion.

9.5 Re-registration to the scheme following an exclusion

9.5.1 Any memorial mason re-registering on the Registration Scheme following exclusion will be monitored for a period of 18 months. A memorial mason committing any breach of the Cemetery Regulations, or an act of Gross Misconduct, during that period will be excluded from the Registration Scheme for an undetermined period, but not less than 36 months, at the discretion of the Head of Planning and Environmental Services.

9.6 Disciplinary procedure appeal

9.6.1 A memorial mason not satisfied with their treatment under the Disciplinary Procedures is entitled to appeal against any decision taken under these procedures. All appeals shall be made in writing within 2 weeks following the disciplinary decision, stating the reason for the appeal and only these reasons will be admissible at the appeal.

9.6.2 A Panel Hearing will subsequently be arranged within 28 days of the receipt of the written appeal where elected members will consider the issue and provide a final decision.

10 Review

10.1 A review of the scheme shall take place to allow either party, the memorial masons or the council, to review the rules, requirements and performance of the Registration Scheme.

11 Modifications

11.1 All participants to the scheme may propose amendments to the scheme with a view to making positive or innovative improvements. The Head of Planning and Environmental Services shall conduct an initial appraisal of these proposed modifications and if these proposals appear to indicate an improvement to the scheme, all participants will be advised on these proposals.

12 Assignment

12.1 No aspects or obligations of the Registration Scheme agreement may be assigned, subcontracted or transferred to a third party without approval, confirmed in writing by the council.

Last updated 16 May 2023