The N.C. Department of Labor recognized area employers and employees at the agency’s annual safety awards banquet in Gastonia on Tuesday.

“It’s really an honor for me to travel throughout the state and recognize these employers who are making a commitment to their employees’ safety and health,” Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said. “Over the years, North Carolina has experienced a declining injury and illness rate, which now rests at an all-time low 2.3 per 100 full-time workers for private industry. These employers continue to make North Carolina workplaces some of the safest in the country.”

The awards honor the on-the-job safety achievements of each recipient during 2018.

Under program rules, companies must have been free of fatal accidents at the site for which the award is given to be eligible. The gold award criteria are based on a DART rate that is at least 50 percent below the statewide rate for its industry. The rate includes cases of days away from work, restricted activity or job transfer. The silver award is based only on cases with days away from work. They are recorded when the worker misses at least one full day of work, not including the day of the injury. The applicant must attain an incidence rate for cases with days away from work that is at least 50 percent below the rate for its industry.

Gold Award: Rate of days away from work, job transfer or restriction must be at least 50 percent below the industry average.

Pharr Recipients:

• Pharr Corporate Administration – 13th Consecutive Year
• Pharr Fibers & Yarns Complex 46 Service Department – 2nd Consecutive Year

Silver Award: Rate of days away from work must be at least 50 percent below the industry average.

Pharr Recipients:

• Pharr Fibers & Yarns Plant 1 and 2 – 2nd Consecutive Year
• Pharr Fibers & Yarns Extrusion Plant
• Pharr Fibers & Yarns Space Dye Plant