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

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.

The formula printed on the safety awards application form is used to compute the incidence rate for the firm. This in turn is compared with a table which lists the incidence rate calculated to 50 percent for each industry group. Annual safety awards are presented during ceremonies that take place each spring at 30 locations across North Carolina. Please visit our banquet schedule.

Application Process

Note: The 2023 Safety Award Season has ended. The 2024 Safety Award Season will start in January 2024.

Applications for annual safety awards will be emailed to participating firms starting in 2024. These are to be completed by the applicant and must be returned no later than February 15, 2024. To be added to the email list, please complete the form. For more information, call 919-707-7855 or email the Safety Awards Coordinator at safety.awards@labor.nc.gov.