THE Atomic Weapons Establishment received several awards for the prevention of accidents – just days before being slapped with £280,000 in fines and costs after fire erupted in an explosives building.

This week, AWE announced that last month they were recognised in the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2013.

A fortnight after the awards, on May 28, a judge at Reading Crown Court said the company “fell substantially short” of doing what it could to reduce the risk of the fire which erupted on the evening of August 3, 2010.

Employee Ashley Emery, who lives in Basingstoke, was left with burns injuries as he was mixing chemicals in a plastic bucket inside an explosives unit.

AWE, which operates the atomic weapons sites at Aldermaston and Burghclere, was presented with The President’s Award at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel, an award which is given to organisations which have received between 10 and 14 consecutive Gold Awards.

AWE has received 13 of the awards, which are for safety and its management.

Paul Rees, AWE’s head of health and safety said: “We’re delighted that RoSPA continues to recognise our ongoing commitment to achieving the highest level of health and safety performance.”

AWE’s construction management department also had success, being awarded the RoSPA Gold Medal, while AWE’s business partner, EMCOR Facilities Services, received the top honour in the facilities management sector in recognition of its achievements in health and safety management at AWE.