EMPLOYEES at a North-East factory have struck gold in a national awards scheme recognising manufacturers with the highest standards in occupational health and safety.

For the second year in succession, 3M Aycliffe, in County Durham, has been presented with a gold medal by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in the society's annual awards.

Gold medals are only awarded to companies which have achieved RoSPA's gold award standard for at least five years in succession.

Adrian Hughes, a safety engineer at the Heighington Lane site, said: "It is a great achievement and reflects the tremendous efforts that everyone across the site puts in to health and safety awareness.

"We have a very positive culture of health and safety among our employees, with a particular focus on behavioural safety at work and also on a 24-hour basis, wherever they may be."

3M, one of the world's largest innovative companies, employs about 350 people at Aycliffe, who manufacture leading respiratory protection products and environmental protection materials.

The RoSPA award came shortly after the site became the first winner of a gold award in the Working for Health in County Durham initiative, run by Sedgefield Primary Care Trust, for its outstanding occupational health and safety record.