SCA announces winners of its annual shipyard safety awards

Davis Gaddy, director of government relations at the Shipbuilders Council of America, announces the 2025 safety award recipients during the SCA spring meeting’s safety award ceremony. [Photo: SCA]

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national trade association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance, and repair industry, has announced its annual member safety awards for the 2024 calendar year. This year, 14 shipyards are receiving awards for their achievements in safety.

“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. Our honoree’s commitment to continuous improvement ensures that safety remains a driving force behind American shipbuilding excellence.”

“The number of safety award recipients this year underscores the dedication of our member shipyards to safeguarding their workforce while advancing industry leadership and innovation,” said Brad Moyer, vice president of business development & strategic planning for BAE Systems Ship Repair and chairman of the Shipbuilders Council of America. “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.”

The shipbuilding industry continues to improve on safety metrics year after year, says SCA. This commitment to safety has allowed U.S. shipyards to address and adapt their continuing operations to any obstacles that arose throughout the year.

To qualify for an SCA Safety Award, member shipyards must submit injury and illness data for all four quarters, report zero fatalities within the year, and either achieve a total recordable incident rate (TRIR) below the SCA average or reduce their TRIR by at least 10 percent compared to the previous year.

The following shipyards and repair facilities have been recognized for their safety practices for 2024:

Award for “Excellence in Safety”

• Alabama Shipyard (Mobile, Ala.)
• Austal USA (Mobile, Ala.)
• BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair (San Diego, Ca.)
• Birdon America (Denver, Co.)
• Bollinger Shipyards (Lockport, La.)
• Conrad Shipyard (Morgan City, La.)
• Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc (Norfolk, Va.)
• Detyens Shipyards, Inc. (Charleston, Sc.)
• Pacific Shipyards International (Honolulu, Hi.)
• Southwest Shipyard L.P. (Channelview, Texas)
• Vigor Marine Ketchikan (Ketchikan, Alaska)
• Vigor Marine Fabrication (Vancouver, Wa.)
• Vigor Marine Seattle (Seattle, Wa.)

Award for “Improvement in Safety”

• BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair (San Diego, Ca.)
• Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc (Norfolk, Va.)
• Vigor Marine Seattle (Seattle, Wa.)
• Detyens Shipyards, Inc. (Charleston, Sc.)

Davis Gaddy, director of government relations at the Shipbuilders Council of America, announces the 2025 safety award recipients during the SCA spring meeting’s safety award ceremony. [Photo: SCA]