COPELAND council is going for an internationally-recognised gold standard in health and safety after making major improvements in the way it manages risk.

The authority will now seek  to obtain the “ISO 45001" Occupational Health and Safety standard in recognition of the work it has carried out to prevent injury and ill-health within its workforce.

The recommendations which came out of a bi-annual monitoring report were agreed by the council’s executive on Tuesday (February 11).

Jo McLeod, Head of Corporate Resources, who is leading on the work, said: “We do now sufficiently feel that our health and safety performance is at such a level that we are confident that we are in a position to start seeking formal accreditations for some of the work that we do.

“So we have included in this report a proposal that we seek to obtain ISO 45001 health and safety standard.”

Coun David Moore, Portfolio Holder Nuclear and Corporate Services, added:  “I think we are managing our health and safety probably better than we have in a long time. We have got somebody in there now who absolutely understands, lives and breathes health and safety – we are getting good results from this and these recommendations about upgrading those safeguards.”

Members also agreed to note the bi-annual report on the actions to comply with all relevant health and safety legislation; approve plans to create a 'Control of Substances Hazardous to Health’ assessment form; and complete COSHH assessments specific to hazardous substances used at Copeland council sites.

Meanwhile, work will continue on the present Health and Safety Strategy which started life in April 2016.