Burial Authorities

Memorial stability and safety are key areas of concern for both Burial Authorities and NAMM.

NAMM recognises the responsibilities that all Burial Authorities have and are keen to work with and support the authorities to ensure that their burial grounds are safe areas for the public. With the creation of the Code of Working Practice and subsequently British Standard 8415-2018, NAMM has taken the lead in ensuring that masons are aware of the responsibility they have in creating safe cemeteries. By insisting that masons work to the Code of Working Practice and thereby ensuring that memorials are fixed to BS8415-2018, you can prove to insurance companies and legislative bodies that you are taking all reasonable steps to ensure public safety within your burial grounds. NAMM is committed to ensuring the Association is involved in all aspects of the bereavement industry and keeps abreast of requirements for the future and works in unison with Burial Authorities.

NAMM Training and Certification has achieved the highest accolade in the form of City & Guilds Assured status, enabling courses and content to be tailored to meet our specific trade requirements.

NAMM trainers and all NAMM NPTC assessors are City & Guilds qualified. 

Setting standards: The NAMM Code of Working Practice, implemented in the 1980s, has been recognised as the industry-accepted standard to which memorials should be fixed in the UK since its first publication. The NAMM Code of Working Practice was the founding document for BS8415. Current editions of the Code are free to view here. In 1990, a Code of Good Business Practice was introduced, which all members must adhere to. The Association’s Conciliation and Arbitration Service has now become well-known and respected by various consumer organizations, Citizens Advice Bureau, etc., and through them, the public.

NAMM’s City & Guilds Assured training and certification are aimed at supporting Burial Authorities and Cemetery staff in complying with best practice obligations and current legislation.

Memorial stability and safety are key areas of concern for both Burial Authorities and NAMM. NAMM is keen to recognise the responsibilities that all Burial Authorities have and to work with the authorities to ensure that their burial grounds are safe areas for the public.

SIAM ( Safety Inspection and Assessment of Memorials)

In conjunction with City & Guilds, NAMM has developed trusted training and industry-recognised certification for this procedure. Safety inspection of memorials is a requirement, and NAMM training is assured by City & Guilds, providing added assurance that it meets required standards.

With the creation of the Code of Working Practice and subsequently British Standard 8415, NAMM has taken the lead in ensuring that masons are aware of the responsibility they have in creating safe cemeteries. By insisting that masons work to the Code of Working Practice and thereby ensuring that memorials are fixed to BS8415, you can prove to insurance companies that you are taking all reasonable steps to ensure public safety within your burial grounds. NAMM is also committed to ensuring the Association is involved in all aspects of the bereavement industry and stays abreast of requirements for the future, working with Burial Authorities.

NAMM Help and Support

NAMM tests products to ensure that they meet the requirements of BS8415-2018.

NAMM is able to provide support in the form of experienced masons or a technical adviser on matters such as:

• Technical issues
• Cemetery regulations
• Memorial quality and consistency

Using Herbicides Around Memorials

NAMM Code of Working Practice, page 11, section 5.g, states, “The use of weed killers is not acceptable in or around memorials. Root systems hold the ground together to stop soil erosion.”

In our City and Guilds ‘Safety Inspection and Assessment of Memorials’ course, we advise against the use of weed killers for all of the above reasons and include pictorial evidence of its adverse effects.

Along with other professional bodies, NAMM does not advise the use of herbicide around the bases of memorials. Apart from causing discoloration, which is unsightly, there is a possible risk to the environment and public health. There is a potential high risk of damage to the natural stonework, as well as causing instability to the stone base/foundation by the removal of vegetation such as grass and its interlocking root system. This exposes and weakens the soil structure as the roots die, and voids will be left both above and under the ground. The soil will fall into these voids, therefore loosening the stone. This would create a health and safety issue with long-term implications for the stability of memorials.

NAMM endeavours to assist Burial Authorities in fulfilling their duties in conjunction with supporting our retail members’ best interests, working together for our mutual benefit.