Conrad, Metal Shark earn national safety honors

WASHINGTON — The Shipbuilders Council of America — the national association representing the U.S. shipyard industry — has announced three Louisiana shipyards received awards for enhancement of operations, and promotion of safety and accident prevention.
The 2020 awardees include Conrad Shipyard (Morgan City) which received SCA’s “Improvement in Safety” award, and Bollinger Shipyards (Lockport) and Metal Shark (Franklin) received SCA’s “Excellence in Safety” award, the Shipbuilders Council of America said in its news release.
Through proactive approaches and dedication to improved safety and health of their employees, Bollinger Shipyards, Conrad Shipyard and Metal Shark are among 13 shipyards awarded nationally for their continued advancement of employee safety in the shipyard industry.
“Shipyards are complex work environments and safety of employees is critical. Bollinger Shipyards, Conrad Shipyard and Metal Shark have made advancements in safety year over year which reflects a deep commitment to the workforce that powers our shipyards and industrial base,” said SCA President Matthew Paxton. “The Shipbuilders Council is proud to recognize them and the hardworking men and women who reflect the shipyard industry’s reputation as one of the safest heavy industries year after year,”
Accepting the award on behalf of Conrad Shipyard, Senior Vice President Daniel Conrad stated, “Conrad Shipyard is committed to building, supporting and continuously improving our safety culture. This award is in recognition of our team’s consistent efforts in the improvement of our safety program.
“I am especially proud that our company’s commitment to its safety philosophy has resulted in a safe work environment for our employees and fosters an environment in which all employees have a voice in the continuous improvement of our safety program.”
“Metal Shark is pleased to have won the SCA Award for Excellence in Safety for the fourth year in a row,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard. “This award is a testament to the commitment to safety that runs throughout our organization, our strong shipyard management, and the dedication of our hard working men and women. To have won this award for four years in a row is especially impressive considering our considerable growth during this period as well as our output of over 200 vessels per year, and we are incredibly proud of our team.”
“Bollinger Shipyards is proud to have earned the SCA Award for Excellence in Safety for the 15th consecutive year,” said Bollinger President and CEO Ben Bordelon. “This exceptional achievement is attributable to and only made possible by the unyielding focus of our workforce to uphold our pledge and commitment to obtain the highest level of workplace safety in our industry. This year’s award is especially meaningful given the unprecedented times and challenges which we’re facing as a nation. I want to commend the resilience and dedication of our employees who, despite the threat of global pandemic, continue to work safely and efficiently. In the evolving field of occupational safety and health, Bollinger Shipyards remains committed to building a culture of safety excellence in the maritime industry.”
Over the last decade, the industry has continued to place an emphasis on the importance of safety in shipyards and has continuously seen a decline in recorded injuries, council’s news release said. Due to the culture of safety, the industry has been able to naturally adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure employees are healthy while important work is still getting done.
So far in 2020, the shipbuilding industry continues to see a decline in recorded injuries and safety issues.
SCA member companies are eligible for a safety award if they submit the SCA Injury & Illness survey for all four quarters, have zero fatalities throughout the year, and either have a total recordable incident rate below the SCA average, or if they reduce their year-on-year rate by 10% or more.
—Shipbuilders Council of America members constitute the shipyard industrial base that builds, repairs, maintains and modernizes U.S. Navy ships and craft, U.S. Coast Guard vessels of all sizes, as well as vessels for other U.S. government agencies. In addition, SCA members build, repair and service America’s fleet of commercial vessels. The council represents 40 companies that own and operate over 80 shipyards, with facilities on all three U.S. coasts, the Great Lakes, the inland waterways system, Alaska and Hawaii.