THE Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is marking its 40th anniversary with an appeal for the region's businesses to make the wellbeing of workers their top priority for the new financial year.

It comes as new figures for the North-East show that six people lost their lives at work in 2013/14 and 1,960 suffered injury while in Yorkshire and the Humber there were 17 fatalities and 2,180 injuries.

Nationally, across Great Britain, there were 133 deaths at work, more than 79,500 injuries formally reported, and more than 1.1 million people estimated to have been made ill through their work.

In the first year that the HSE was established in January 1975 a total of 651 employees were killed, without including self-employed workers whose deaths were not recorded in the same way.

Although there have been huge improvements employers have been urged to review whether they can do more to protect their workforce – construction, manufacturing and waste and recycling are most at risk with agriculture also requiring sustained improvement.

Areas of particular concern include falls from height; working on poorly maintained and guarded machinery; and failing to properly manage workplace transport.

John Rowe, HSE Head of Operations for the North East, said: "Workplace conditions have improved dramatically in the past four decades, but as employers plan and prepare for the new financial year they need to ensure that health, safety and welfare is a clear focus.”

Information on tackling health and safety dangers in workplaces is available at hse.gov.uk.