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Seafarers honored for safe operations (7/12)

Eleven SIU-contracted companies, along with their top performing vessels, recently were recognized by the U.S. maritime industry for safe ship operations. The honors, the 2005 Jones F. Devin Award and the 2005 Ship Safety Achievement Awards, were bestowed June 9 by the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) during its Annual Safety Awards Luncheon at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Specifically, the awards recognize individual ships and the women and men who crew them while performing accident-free operations. The prizes also serve as incentives to promote safe ship practices aboard all American-flagged vessels. “It’s always great to see Seafarers receive this type of well-deserved recognition, especially when it has to do with safety,” said SIU Vice President Contracts Augie Tellez. “It’s a tribute not only to the individual mariners, but also a reflection of the tremendous jobs that the instructors and staff at our affiliated training school (the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md.) do in preparing students for their careers.” Nearly 200 people representing more than 50 companies turned out for the event. The awards were given to vessels that have operated for at least two years without a mariners involved in a lost-time injury. “We have been holding these annual award ceremonies since 1954,” said Joseph Cox, CSA president. “For that initial year, we honored six vessels having a total of 12 years operation with no lost-time incidents. This year, we gave awards to 726 vessels that operated (a combined) 3,956 years without a lost-time incident. This extraordinary record is directly attributable to the professionalism of our seafarers and the dedication of shore-based company personnel to safe operation.” Seafarers-contracted companies that were recipients of the 2005 Jones F. Devlin Awards and the vessels which established safety milestones (number of years in parentheses) were: Alaska Tanker Company, LLC—Overseas New York (4), Tonsina (4), Kenai (4) and Overseas Washington (3) Central Gulf Lines— Green Lake (3) Crescent Towing—Texas (8), Georgia (8), Ervin S. Cooper (8), Alabama (8), Mardi Gras (8), Port Allen (8), Admiral Jackson (8), Glenn Smith (8), Louisiana (7), Port Hudson (6), Terrence Smith (5), Point Clear (5) and Savannah (2) Horizon Lines—Horizon Discovery (2) and Horizon Spirit (2) Interocean American Shipping Corporation —Flickertail State (7), Cape Mohican (4), Chesapeake (4), Gopher State (4), Cape May (4), El Yunque (3), Midnight Sun (2) and North Star (2) Keystone Shipping Co. —Cape Vincent (9), Chelsea (8), Tallahassee Bay (6), Florida Bay (6), Columbia Bay (6) and South Carolina Bay (6). Marine Transport Lines —Lykes Discoverer (6), Ocean Reliance (2), Sea Reliance (2), and Sound Reliance (2) Maritrans Operating Company L.P.—Navigator (3), Seafarer (3) and Intrepid (3) Maersk Line, Ltd.—USNS Red Cloud (4), USNS Effective (4), Maersk Rhode Island (2), Cpl Louis J. Hauge Jr. (2), USNS Impeccable (2), USNS Soderman (2), Franklin J. Philips (2), SSG Edward A. Carter (2), and USNS Loyal (2). OSG Ship Management, Inc.—Overseas New Orleans (3), Overseas Philadelphia (3) and Overseas Marilyn (2) Seabulk Tankers—HMI Brenton Reef (3), Seabulk Challenge (3), Seabulk Power (2) and Seabulk America (2). The Chamber of Shipping of America represents 25 U.S.-based companies that own, operate or charter oceangoing tankers, containerships, and other merchant vessels engaged in both the domestic and international trades and other entities that maintain a commercial interest in the operation of such oceangoing vessels. ###