SAFETY conscious workers have won a gold award for consistently high standards.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has awarded the Billingham workforces of Lucite International and ABB Projects, Construction and Design, with gold status in recognition of four consecutive years of achievement in occupational safety.

Employees have achieved 630,000 accident free hours at the Cassel Works, in Billingham.

"We are delighted to have earned this magnificent award," said Graham York, Lucite's project manager.

"As a responsible company, safety, health and environmental matters are the top priorities for our business and recognition in this way is a credit to the superb performance of our workforce in a time of great change."

ABB Construction engineer Gary Watson, who received the award from Lord Faulkner, the president of RoSPA, said: "The gold award represents recognition for the joint team work of Lucite, ABB Construction and the Site Term Contractors.

"This involved improving the way in which projects were managed and implemented, by continually reviewing and improving procedures and audit schedules on the Cassel site."