The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) has announced the winners of its annual safety awards for calendar year 2024. Fourteen shipyards received recognition for either excellence in safety or improvement in safety.
To be eligible, SCA said member shipyards must submit complete injury and illness data for all four quarters, report no fatalities for the year, and either maintain a total recordable incident rate (TRIR) below the SCA average or reduce their TRIR by at least 10% from the previous year.
“Year after year, the shipbuilding and repair industry proves that safety is more than a goal—it’s embedded in the culture of our workforce and operations,” said Matthew Paxton, president of the Shipbuilders Council of America. “Recipients of this award are setting the benchmark for prioritizing the industry’s greatest asset—its people—while strengthening the capabilities that keep our maritime sector resilient and prepared.”
Brad Moyer, vice president of business development and strategic planning for BAE Systems Ship Repair and chairman of the SCA, said, “These awardees demonstrate that prioritizing safety not only protects people but strengthens the entire industry—helping to ensure that America’s shipyards remain the safest in the world and setting a high standard for continuous improvement that resonates beyond shipbuilding.”
Colonna's Shipyard, Norfolk, Va., told WorkBoat that the yard has tied safety performance to personal financial outcomes, a strategy that it says has driven engagement among its workers.
Awardees were announced during the SCA spring meeting’s safety award ceremony.
SCA's 2025 Excellence in Safety award recipients for their 2024 performance are:
- Alabama Shipyard (Mobile, Ala.)
- Austal USA (Mobile, Ala.)
- BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair (Jacksonville, Fla.)
- BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair (San Diego, Calif.)
- Birdon America (Denver, Colo.)
- Bollinger Shipyards (Lockport, La.)
- Conrad Shipyard (Morgan City, La.)
- Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc. (Norfolk, Va.)
- Detyens Shipyards, Inc. (Charleston, S.C.)
- Pacific Shipyards International (Honolulu, Hawaii)
- Southwest Shipyard L.P. (Channelview, Texas)
- Vigor Marine Ketchikan (Ketchikan, Alaska)
- Vigor Marine Fabrication (Vancouver, Wash.)
- Vigor Marine Seattle (Seattle, Wash.)
SCA's 2025 Improvement in Safety award recipients for their 2024 performance are:
- BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair (San Diego, Calif.)
- Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc. (Norfolk, Va.)
- Detyens Shipyards, Inc. (Charleston, S.C.)
- Vigor Marine Seattle (Seattle, Wash.)
