Safety Pays Off for SCA Shipyards

Injury and illness incident rates at shipyards that belong to the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) have, for the fifth consecutive year, stayed below the industry average. The average Total Recordable Incident Rates (TRIR) for SCA member facilities, for the fifth consecutive year, is substantially below the average TRIR for the industry as a whole (SIC 3731), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). SCA has an active Safety Committee that reviews the results of each quarterly survey and holds bi-annual safety seminars to address the areas where most injuries occur. Recent seminars have focused on innovative ways to address the structure and activities of shipyard safety committees in both union and non-union yards; comparing the safety practices of commercial shipyards with naval shipyards and the importance of worker orientation programs. Each year, SCA issues Safety Awards to the shipyards with the lowest TRIR based on their annual safety record. Awards are given in different categories, depending on the size and number of hours worked. Only companies whose incident rates are below the association average are eligible for awards. This year awards went to Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Inc., Mobile, AL; First Wave Marine, Inc., headquartered in Houston, TX; Trinity Marine Products, headquartered in Dallas, TX; Cascade General, Inc., Portland, OR and Conrad Industries, Inc., headquartered in Morgan City, LA. Jeffboat LLC did not win an award but had a TRIR below the association’s average.