TWO people lost their lives while at work in the borough during 2012-13, new figures have disclosed.

They were among 15 fatalities which occurred across the North West during the same period, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

One of the two deaths in Bury involved Unsworth teenager Cameron Minshull, who died in a factory accident.

The 16-year-old sustained fatal injuries while working at a machine at premises in Huntley Mount Road last January. He had been taken on as an apprentice at Zaffar Engineering UK Ltd just three weeks before.

The two deaths recorded in Bury was one more than the previous year.

The figures also disclose there 46 work-related major injuries in Bury during 2012-13, down from 55 in 2011-12. In the North West, 2,337 people suffered a major injury during 2012-13.

Now, the HSE is urging businesses to focus on their legal responsibility to ensure lives are not put at risk and make the safety of workers their top priority for 2014.

Rick Brunt, HSE’s head of operations in the North West, said: “The families of those workers in the North West who lost their lives last year had to face Christmas without them and hundreds of other workers have had their lives changed forever by a major injury.

“While the number of workplace deaths and major injuries has decreased nationally, these statistics highlight why we still need to manage risk in workplaces.

“I therefore urge employers to focus their efforts on tackling the real dangers that workers face and stop worrying about trivial matters or devoting excessive time to paperwork.”

l Information on tackling health and safety dangers in workplaces is available on HSE’s website at .hse.gov.uk