BURNLEY Council is backing a campaign to show health and safety laws are not petty bureaucracy.

It has signed up to the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) campaign on sensible risk management. Liz Evans, of the HSE, said: “We’ve all heard the stories about health and safety banning hanging baskets or ladders.

“This is not what we are about. It is not what HSE wants, not want Burnley wants, and not what the law requires.

“We both want to focus our attention on practical steps that protect people from real risks that can lead to injury and death; we do not want to stop people living their lives.”

Council chief executive Steve Rumbelow said: “Protecting the safety of our workers and the community has always been a crucial issue for us.”