N.C. Department of Labor's Safety Awards Program is administered through its Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau of the Occupational Safety and Health Division. Through the Safety Awards Program, private and public firms that achieve and maintain good safety records are recognized. This program is designed to stimulate interest in accident prevention and to promote safety in the workplace by providing an incentive to employers and employees to maintain a safe and healthful workplace. Annual safety awards are presented during ceremonies that take place each spring across North Carolina.          

Annual Safety Awards

To qualify for an annual safety award, a firm must:

• Have no fatalities during the calendar year at the site or location for which the award was given; and
• Have maintained an incidence rate at least 50 percent below the average for its particular industry group. 

Two Safety Award Levels - Gold and Silver

• The Gold Award is based on the days away, restricted, transferred (DART) rate, which includes cases of days away from work, restricted activity or job transfer. See lines H and I of the OSHA form 300A to determine the DART rate.
• 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. See line H of the OSHA Form 300A to determine the number of cases with days away from work.

Application Process

Please complete the ONLINE safety awards application using your calendar year 2025 data. Applications must be submitted no later than February 15, 2026. Even if your organization does not qualify for an award this year, we encourage you to submit an application to remain active in the program. Applications are available through the NCDOL website at www.labor.nc.gov.

If you have questions or need assistance completing your application, please contact our Safety Awards Coordinator, Jackson Lohrer, at 984-328-0074 or via email at safety.awards@labor.nc.gov.