BURY has been held up as an example of how health and safety legislation has been successfully applied, following the news there were no work-related deaths in the town last year.

Figures have shown that there have been only two workplace deaths in Bury since 2007, but 36 workers have died across the Greater Manchester area during that time. Six workers were killed in Greater Manchester during 2013-14.

John Spencer, president of not-for-profit campaign group, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), said: “Since the Health and Safety at Work Act came into being 40 years ago this month, employers have made substantial headway in protecting the lives of workers. Health and safety is far from the pointless regulation it is sometimes perceived to be.

“It should be acknow-ledged for giving the vital protection to workers that it does. Bury is a perfect example of why we need these regulations.

“Industries vary regionally, but even in areas where there is a higher concentration of workers in some of the more dangerous sectors, such as agriculture, shipping, and forestry, fatalities have been avoided.”

For the year 2013-14, 133 workers were killed across Great Britain. The figures were obtained by APIL through a freedom of information request.

Mr Spencer said: “Too many people don’t return home from work, but when we reflect that 651 people were killed at work in Great Britain in 1974, it really highlights how far we have come.”