Pictured above: -Stanton Bonna Director Jean-Claude Perron, left, and Operations Director Rob Fifer, centre, with Jason Dennis representing first prize winner Chris Birley; second prize winner Frank Healey; and, right, Martin Birkett representing third prize winner Hugh Logan

A manufacturer's health and safety campaign is continuing to reduce accidents and produce winners both in the workforce and the community.

All were recipients from the third year of a 'near miss and hazard' scheme run by pre-cast concrete drainage products manufacturer Stanton Bonna, based at Stanton-by-Dale, near Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

The scheme encourages the 130 employees to write on cards details of any near misses - incidents that have the potential to result in injury - or hazard alerts such as unsafe equipment, substances or procedures, so that management can take appropriate action.

During the last year workers at the Littlewell Lane premises filled in 423 alert cards.

The company reciprocated by giving to charity £1 for each card submitted and the firm's health and safety committee, made up of management and workers' representatives, chose Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.

Jean-Claude Perron, group vice-president, southern branch water networks solutions of Brussels-based parent company Consolis presented a cheque for £423 to Dennis Talbot, a volunteer fund-raise for the Air Ambulance.

The Air Ambulance helicopter, based at East Midlands Airport, attends around 1,000 call-outs each year, half of them road traffic accidents, at a cost of up to £1,700 each time. It depends on voluntary contributions.

Mr Perron, a director of Stanton Bonna, also made a draw of cards entered during the year and presented prize to the winners.

The first prize, a choice of  a week's extra paid holiday, a 40 inch television, a laptop computer, or a weekend away for two was won by Chris Birley, of Stapleford. Colleague Jason Dennis picked up the award in his absence.

Second prize of a television hard drive recorder and receiver went to Frank Healey, of Ilkeston, a team leader who sets up machinery. Mr Healey, who has worked at the plant for 43 years and retires in February, won third prize last year. "It's nice to win, especially as it is one up on last year," he said.

Third prize of a digital radio was won by Hugh Logan, of Long Eaton, which was collected in his absence by Martin Birkett.

Operations director Rob Fifer said the company had made good progress in trying to make Stanton Bonna a safer place and the card scheme was an effective way of reducing accidents.

He announced to workers that the company had also won two health and safety awards from the manufacturers' trade association, British Precast Concrete Federation.

For the fourth year running Stanton Bonna won a prestigious gold award for health and safety initiatives and a best practice award in recognition of work to improve the occupational health of employees by eliminating dust, noise and vibration through improved product design.

"I'm very pleased and proud that we have won these awards," he said. "Along with the success of our own scheme they are testament to the improvements that we have made to the vital issue of health and safety."