MANY of the 31 deaths of North West workers last year could have been prevented by simple, sensible precautions, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

David Ashton, the HSE's regional director, said: "Year after year the same underlying trends appear in our fatal accidents statistics - and the tragedy is that deaths such as these could be avoided.

"If we could eliminate just two of the causes - falling from a height and being struck either by site vehicles or by their loads or other materials falling on them - around two thirds of those people would be alive today."

The deaths included seven people who were run over or crushed by lorries or other vehicles, and another who was crushed between a cherry picker and a roof. Five people fell from roofs or windows, or into unguarded holes and of the nine construction fatalities, many also involved falls from height.

Effective, practical precautions include: l using safe platforms with guarded edges for working at heights l securing ladders properly where these have to be used l securing loads before moving them l laying workplaces out to keep vehicles and pedestrians apart wherever practical