Ports America Group Garners Top West Coast PMA Safety Awards for 2011 Accident Prevention

At the recent Pacific Maritime Association’s 63rd Annual Safety Awards Banquets, Ports America washonored with numerous Accident Prevention Awards for its achievements in workplace safety in 2011, including the 1st Place Coast Award and 1st Place Local Area Award Group A Stevedore Operations for its Los Angeles/Long Beach operations for the second year in a row.

Ports America set a record in its Group A Stevedore category with 12 first-place Coast Awards in the past 14 years and an unprecedented 14 first-place Coast Awards during the past 17 years.

In the Pacific Northwest, Ports America garnered Group B Stevedore Operations 1st Place Coast and 1st Place Local Area Awards, plus received the Greatest Reduction in Injury Rate Award for its Vancouver-Columbia River operation. In the Container Operations Group B category, Ports America in Washington-Puget Sound won 1st Place Local Area Award, LocalArea Reduction in Injury Rate, and 2nd Place Coast Award.

Ports America in Port Hueneme was awarded with the Most Improved Safety Record for companies with 50,000 man-hours or moreand presented with the Group B Stevedore Operations 2nd Place Coast and 2nd Place Local Area Awards.

Both the Port Hueneme and Los Angeles/Long Beach divisions of Ports America were recognized with local area Reduced Injury/Illness Incident Rate Certificates.

Ports America’s National Lines Bureau was honored with 1st Place Coast Award for Lines Companies in Los Angeles/Long Beach and the One-Year Zero Incident Rate Coast Award.

Ports America Vice President, Labor Relations and Safety, Sean Lindsay commented on the company’s overall accomplishments.

“Safety has always been a top priority in all Ports America operations,” said Lindsay. “We are especially proud of our long and successful partnership in safety with the ILWU. Without the leadership of the ILWU international officers and the commitment of the rank and file to safety in the workplace, these accomplishments would not be possible.

The awards rules are established by the awards committee. The awards committee is composed of members from all areas on the West Coast. Award winners are determined by companies attaining the lowest incident rate within their category. Companies are divided into categories and subcategories based on their type of operation and the number of hours worked for an entire year by longshoremen, clerks, and foremen. The categories are stevedoring companies, container companies, terminal companies, bulk operators and lines companies.

Ports America, headquartered in Jersey City, N.J., is the largest independent marine terminal operator in North America, providing terminal management and a full suite of stevedoring and related services. Ports America, including its predecessor companies, has more than 86 years of experience operating American seaports. Its current business includes more than 80 terminals in 42 ports in North America, handling containers, roll on/roll off cargo, general cargo and cruise line passengers. As one of the largest employers of maritime labor in North America, Ports America employs more than 12,000 people each day at its operations, including full-time equivalent employees. For further information on Ports America, please visit its Web site: www.portsamerica.com.