RALEIGH — Many Robeson County employers received honors Wednesday during the North Carolina Department of Labor’s annual safety awards banquet, which was a virtual event this year.

“We didn’t want COVID-19 to prevent us from recognizing these employers in the Lumberton area and surrounding communities who are making a commitment to their employees’ safety and health,” state Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said. “Over the years, North Carolina has experienced a declining injury and illness rate, which remains at a historic low 2.4 per 100 full-time workers for private industry. These employers continue to make North Carolina workplaces some of the safest in the country and deserve this recognition.”

The awards honor the outstanding on-the-job safety achievements of each recipient during 2019, with recipients meeting stringent requirements.

Under program rules, companies must have been free of fatal accidents at the site for which the award is given to be eligible. Criteria are based on the rate of work days missed because of incidents. To receive a gold award the company’s rate of days away from work, job transfer or restriction must be at least 50% below the statewide rate for its industry, and for a silver award the rate of days away from work must be at least 50% below the statewide rate for its industry.

Receiving gold awards were:

— The City of Lumberton Environmental Utilities’ Lab and Waste Water Treatment, each for the 11th consecutive year;

— The City of Lumberton’s City Hall, Bill Sapp Recreation Center, Luther Britt Park, Parkview Activity Center and Senior Center for the 10th consecutive year;

— Lumberton Fire Department Station Two for the eighth consecutive year;

— M.J. Soffe Co. for the seventh consecutive year;

— The City of Lumberton Environmental Utilities Water Treatment and the Town of Red Springs’ Electric, Fire, Parks & Recreation and Sanitation departments for the sixth consecutive year;

— Elkay Manufacturing and the Town of Red Springs Administration for the fourth consecutive year;

— The Town of Red Springs’ Sewer, Water, Wastewater and Streets departments, and The University of North Carolina at Pembroke for the third consecutive year;

— Lumberton Police Department East Station, and Harger Lighting and Grounding for the second consecutive year;

— Campbell Soup Supply Co. and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Division of Vocational, Rehabilitation Services Lumberton Unit for the first year.

Receiving silver awards were:

— The City of Lumberton’s Electric Utilities Department and Recreation Department Maintenance for the fifth consecutive year;

— Lumberton Fire Department stations One and Three, and the City of Lumberton Public Works Department for the second consecutive year;

— Lumberton Police Department Central Station and Lumber River Electric Membership Corp. for the first year.

Elkay Manufacturing and Campbell Soup Supply Co. each also received Million-Hour Awards for having 1 million or more work hours with no lost-time accidents. Elkay Manufacturing has had more than 4 million hours without a lost-time accident, ranging from June 14, 2013, to Dec. 31, 2019. Campbell Soup Supply Co. has logged more than 2 million hours without a lost-time accident, ranging from April 4, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019.