A health and safety group which this year celebrates its 70th anniversary has been presented with a national award at the House of Lords.

The Suffolk & North Essex Occupational Health and Safety Group (SNEOSG), which as formed by local industry leaders in 1945, received the Alan Butler Gold Award from Lord Brougham and Vaux, president of Safety Groups UK, to which SNEOSG is affiliated.

SNEOSG, which now includes representatives from the private and public sectors, is also affliated to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and works closely with the Health & Safety Executive.

It meets in the afternoon of the third Thursday of each month in Ipswich, with members benefiting from regular talks on topics relating to health, safety and welfare at work.

A spokesman for the group said: “We have been successful in promoting occupational health and safety to a wide range of businesses, as demonstrated by our membership and attendance at our events and we are very pleased to receive recognition for the work that we do.”

Ipswich MP Ben Gummer, who attended the presentation ceremony, said: “I was delighted that the Suffolk and North Essex Occupational Safety Group won recognition for the important work they do in making work places safer for working people.

“I am proud that their voluntary efforts have won them this gold award and would like to extend my thanks for the time they give, free of charge, to help people work safely and in good health.”

Anyone interested in joining the group or in finding out more about its work should visit www.sneosg.org.uk/