Colchester council latest to sign up

Colchester borough council has become the latest local authority to sign up to the Health and Safety Executive's 'ten principles of sensible risk management' campaign.

The guidelines provide businesses and other organisations with information about what risk management should involve.

Chief executive of the council Adrian Prichard said exaggerated health and safety myths undermine the work done by health professionals to protect people's lives and hopes the principles will further improve the workplace safety of its employees.

"We are proud to sign up to protecting our workers and community through sensible health and safety policies and commit to focusing on saving lives," he said.

Geoff Baker, the HSE's head of ops for the east, said the two parties would work together to outline practical steps on how to protect people from risks which can lead to injury or death.

Between 2004 and 2005, 220 people were killed and 150,000 were injured at work as a result of poor risk management, the HSE claims.