(Onslow County)   At the November 2, 2009, Onslow County Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Cherie K. Berry of the North Carolina Department of Labor presented annual safety awards for 2008 to Onslow County Departments.

        Awards received were as follows: 
1st Year Silver Award to Planning & Development
1st Year Gold Award to Library, Parks & Recreation, Soil & Water, and Solid Waste
2nd Year Gold Award to Dept. of Social Services
3rd Year Gold Award to Animal Control, and County Jail
4th Year Gold Award to Facilities Maintenance, and Health Department
5th Year Gold Award to Youth Services
7th Year Gold Award to Administration, Finance, and Human Resources
8th Year Gold Award to Airport, E911 Communications, Emergency Management, ITS, Mosquito & Vector Control, and Vehicle Maintenance
11th Year Gold Award to Jacksonville, Nine Mile, N. Topsail Beach, Richlands, Sneads Ferry, Swansboro, and Haws Run Rescue Squads, & Special Incident Response Team
13th Year Gold Award to Board of Elections, Cooperative Extension, Museum, Purchasing, Register of Deeds, Tax Office, and Veteran Services

        The NC Department of Labor safety awards 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.  To qualify for an annual safety award, there must have been no fatalities during the calendar year and an incident rate at least 50 percent below the average for a particular group must be maintained.  The gold award is based on the DART rate, which includes cases of days away from work, restricted job activity or job transfer.

- End -