An emotional ceremony of remembrance was held in Bradford for people who have died at work.

Yesterday was International Workers' Memorial Day, and bereaved relatives gathered alongside union representatives in Centenary Square to remember their loved ones.

Candles were lit and flowers laid in the memorial garden to commemorate those who died in the work place. Those who attended, including representatives from West Yorkshire fire service, also observed a minute's silence.

Carol Duerden, chairman of the Bradford Area Occupational Health and Safety Forum, spoke at the service. She said: "We need to keep remembering and renewing our vow to fight for better conditions so that other families don't have to suffer in the same way. Today is so important. People don't realise that so many people are still killed and injured at work.

"For somebody to go to work for the day and not come home is such a hard thing to bear."

The International Labour Organi-sation estimates that 2.3 million people are killed at work or because of work worldwide every year. This includes deaths at the workplace but also resulting from stress brought on by work, or long-term effects of working with dangerous chemicals.

Miss Duerden said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) needs more money to ensure they can work effectively to prevent the deaths.

In Yorkshire there were ten fatal injuries to workers from 2006 to 2007. Janet Allen, from Keighley, lost her son Steven, 23, in a building site accident in Manningham last March. She said: "Until something like that happens to you personally you never hear about safety in workplaces. There is just not enough awareness. It's a reactive thing. Something needs to be done before more terrible accidents happen."

The flag on Bradford City Hall was flown at half-mast in tribute to those who died. It followed a U-turn by the Council after it initially refused the mark of respect because of what it said was the risk posed to an employee who would have to lower the flag.

Health and Safety campaign co-ordinator for the Bradford Trades Council Mike Quiggin said: "These memorials have been held for 17 years. The extent of ill health and death caused by poorly organised work is underestimated."

Keith Robinson, Bradford district manager for West Yorkshire Fire Service, said: "It's important that we don't forget people who die in the line of work, and in the fire service it doesn't happen. We lost firefighters in an explosion at Low Moor Chemical Company's munitions factory in 1916 and we don't forget those guys. "