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 success of our safety program, and our drive towards zero harm, is truly a collaborative effort between Ports America and the members of the ILWU,” Lindsay added. “It is no surprise that longshore Local 13 and foremen Local 94 both won the Coast Safety Award for Injury Frequency reduction in 2010. Their success is our success and vise versa.” 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 Iselin, 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 85 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.