GREATER Manchester has the most work-related deaths and serious injuries in the north west.
New figures show there were 10 fatal incidents and 1,868 serious workplace accidents between 2006 and 2007.
Lancashire and Merseyside had the second-highest number of fatal accidents with eight each, but the combined total of serious injuries in both counties was 1,378 - nearly 500 less than in Greater Manchester.
Across the region, there were also 10 fatal and 1,584 non-fatal injuries to the public.
The number of people killed in north-west workplaces has risen over the last five years in contrast to the improving national trend, according to the Health and Safety Commission.
About 236,000 people in the region also suffered from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by current or past work.
Precautions
David Ashton, north-west regional director for the Health and Safety Executive, said: "Many of the 33 north-west worker deaths and much of the ill health could have been prevented by simple and sensible precautions. I call on all businesses to act now to help stop this toll. It is not a matter simply for the HSE to prevent.
"There are plenty of practical precautions and the HSE works with a number of partners to provide free advice and education to those both carrying out and managing work.
"We need businesses and self-employed people to help arrest this increase and make the region a healthier and safer place to work.
HSC chairman Judith Hackitt said: "Never mind banning conkers or Christmas decorations, look at these figures - this is what health and safety is about.
"The figures released show the real risks faced by real people every day of their working lives, and the suffering that occurs when health and safety processes fail."

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Behind yet again!Blood and Sand.Take a look at the Danes,Swedes,Finnland.You could do with their Laws.Mind you i never rated the English so called Directors.I worked there for 11 years.It's all Coffee and loud Ties.Half a mild and a Scotch Egg.
Real health and safety seems to lack teeth these days.There are so many stories of ill trained and badly equipt workers being killed and injured and directors cutting corners with safety.Those workers who choose to ignore the equiptment and advice,do themselves and their fellow workers a disservice.Could the high number of deaths be related to the loss of union recognition?and the governments giving in to big business in allowing corners to be cut?Real common sense, health and safety, is a bit of red tape that IS necessary.