SIU-contracted Alaska Tanker Company (ATC), fresh off receiving formal congratulations from the Alaska State Legislature for its outstanding safety and environmental record, last month accepted another well-earned honor.ATC received the State of Washington Department of Ecology’s prestigious Exceptional Compliance Program (ECOPRO) Award “for excellence in marine safety and environmental stewardship.” The awards ceremony took place July 23 in Tacoma, Wash.
In announcing ATC’s selection, the department pointed out that the Exceptional Compliance Program “is for companies that want to go even further than basic compliance with Washington’s stringent marine safety laws. Companies that receive this award are operating their tank ships at what we believe is the highest level of marine safety in the world today. ATC is only the second company to ever earn this award. The vessel crews, shoreside support staff and management team of ATC have put a great deal of time and effort into earning this award.”
ATC—which readily credits both the SIU and the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education as sharing in its success—began operating in April 1999. The Beaverton, Ore.-based company manages a fleet of 10 SIU-crewed tankers, operating mainly between Alaska and the West Coast. The vessels primarily deliver Alaska North Slope crude oil to refineries. Those ships are the BT Alaska, Denali, Marine Columbia, Overseas Boston, Kenai, Prince William Sound, Tonsina, Overseas Chicago, Overseas New York and Overseas Washington.
Additionally, ATC two years ago ordered new “Alaska class” tankers that will help offset the government-mandated scrapping dates for some of its current fleet. The four new double-hulled tankers have staggered delivery dates, starting in November 2003 and ending in July 2006. The ships are being built at San Diego’s NASSCO Shipyard. Each will be 941 feet in length, with a capacity for 1.3 million barrels and a design life of 35-50 years.
ATC CEO Anil Mathur said his company’s emphasis on safety goes much deeper than statistics. “It should be unacceptable that companies engage in commerce and hurt their own people to make money. Beyond all the safety statistics, it is the well-being of individuals and their ability to work for a living that is delivered by a safety culture,” he stated.
“This requires a relentless focus on the details of the work to be executed, and an environment where cutting corners is an unacceptable way of executing tasks,” Mathur continued. “I am proud of all the ATC employees who bring such a work ethic to life, and deliver our motto: Quality service with no accidents, no harm to people, and no damage to the environment.”
Since its start, ATC has delivered more than 400 million barrels of Alaska North Slope crude. Along the way, the company has amassed an impressive safety record.
For example, lost-time injuries—nominal from the beginning—have steadily decreased. Last year the company averaged a more-than-respectable 0.42 injuries per 200,000 man hours. This year, they haven’t had a single lost-time injury.
Additionally, eight of the 10 ships have gone at least 500 days without a lost-time injury, and the other two have gone more than 200 and 100 days, respectively.
ATC has a similarly worthy record of spill-free operations. The Kenai leads the list, having gone more than 2,700 days without a spill.
Part of the company’s accomplishment is linked to safety training its crews have completed at the Paul Hall Center, based in Piney Point, Md. When contacted for this story, ATC officials quickly cited the school’s oil spill prevention and containment course, along with fire fighting and other safety classes, as invaluable. They also credited the SIU for being “a tough but fair counterpart across the bargaining table, and a very capable ally in the fight to revitalize the U.S.-flag fleet.”
Meanwhile, the company keeps adding to its credentials. As noted on the citation from the Alaska Legislature, ATC now has earned quality certifications in the International Safety Management Code, International Standards Organization (ISO) 9001 and ISO 14001, in addition to receiving the ECOPRO award. Each reflects a commendable record and effective preparedness when it comes to safety and the environment.
Moreover, ATC is the first U.S.-flag seagoing company to achieve the ISO 14001 certification.
Altogether, ATC’s efforts have helped achieve continuous improvements in its health, safety and environmental (HSE) performance rating, an important grading system for operators in the Alaskan North Slope trade route.
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