To be eligible for each award category companies had to show accident rates at least 50 percent below the national average for their industry.

Four companies in Zebulon earned awards for their safety records. S. T. Wooten Corp.'s ready-mix plant earned a silver award for a year below the 50 percent industry average. The S. T. Wooten Corp. asphalt plant earned a gold award for a year 50 percent below the industry average for number of days of missed work due to an injury. Nomaco Inc. earned a gold award for being 50 percent below that industry average for two consecutive years. And Devil Dog Manufacturing Co. has been 50 percent below their industry's average for three straight years earning that company a gold award.

The awards honor outstanding on-the-job safety achievements during 2010. Companies will receive their awards during a banquet Friday at the Crabtree Marriott in Raleigh.