AMS Safety Dinner Highlights Recipients of AMSs 2008 Awards

Much to be proud of at AMS Maritime Safety Awards presentation.

The October 21 annual Dinner for members of American Safety Inc (AMS) was not officially billed as a 20th Anniversary event. Nevertheless, the story of AMS, founded in 1988 by a group of forward looking U.S. companies, is worthy of a very special mention. Indeed, the New York based non-profit trade association has expanded dramatically in both its scope and its geographical reach since its founding.

AMS was originally organized to facilitate an organized response to newly enacted U.S. Coast Guard regulations that mandating that mariners be randomly tested for drug usage. To its founders, it made sense for industry to work together on compliance issues, which were taking on added complexity even twenty years ago. Today, the AMS mission has grown well beyond its original focus. For example, the 2008 meetings (held at the Yale Club throughout the day, prior to the Membership Dinner) covered topics of concern to maritime employers such as behavior and personality assessment, and sexual harassment issues, in addition to presentations from U.S. Coast Guard personnel.

Its membership base has evolved from its original nucleus of U.S. flag deepsea operators to include more 400 maritime companies, in the U.S. but also abroad. Dinner attendee Eric Linsner, Senior Vice President at Stamford, Ct. based PRONAV Ship Management, told Maritime Executive: “We operate 8 LNG tankers on behalf of BGT, LTD. These ships have been enrolled with AMS since 1988 as a means of meeting our drug testing obligations. Although the ships are not US flag, charterers require an effective random testing program. The US DOT drug testing procedures are acknowledged as being among the most rigorous and are used by AMS in both the US and non-US Flag random testing protocols, thus providing a level of confidence to all concerned parties.”

Recipients of AMS’s 2008 Awards, presented during the Dinner, included Maersk Line Limited, winner of the Responsible Vessel Carrier Award, Crowley Maritime, winner of the Tanker Vessel Safety Award, and Bouchard Transportation, the award winner in the Tug & Barge category. One of AMS’s foreign members, the Korean based Cido Shipping, received an award for Safe Vessel Navigation & Operation. Other award recipients were World Yachts, LMS Ship Management, Vane Brothers and Ocean Shipholdings Inc. The awards were designed to recognize members for their proactive efforts in achieving safe and responsible maritime practices.

AMS’s President Louis Meltz, who has been onboard since its inception, told Maritime Executive that: “Members come to us for a myriad of issues. We now count as members 90% of the U.S. fleet.” AMS administers safety programs, and handles relationships with contractors who provide services such as breathalyzer and drug testing, for U.S. and foreign flag deepsea, cruise and Great Lakes shipowners. PRONAV’s Eric Linsner added that: “Beyond meeting our client obligations, AMS membership provides insight and guidance into USCG drug and alcohol testing requirements in the event a non-US Flag vessel calls in a US port."

Louis Meltz told Maritime Executive that AMS had also gained members from within the non U.S. sector, from owners whose ships are calling at U.S. ports. He said that a high percentage of foreign flag owners were not in compliance with the rules contained in the relevant portions of Part 46 of the CFR. Meltz, a lawyer by training, said: “For all vessels inside the 12 mile limit, even foreign ships, the same U.S. Coast Guard rules apply.” He offered a surface transportation analogy, asking rhetorically, “Even if you are from Europe, don’t our traffic rules apply if you are driving down the New Jersey Turnpike?.”

When asked about foreign members, in addition to PRONAV, AMS can point to General Maritime Corporation in the tanker sector, and cruise owners NCL and Crystal Cruises. A number of attendees at the Dinner were quick to remind Maritime Executive of the consequences of not being in compliance with the Coast Guard rules. In addition to the plethora of better known errors surrounding the Cosco Busan accident in San Francisco, questions emerged as to how quickly the owners were able to conduct drug testing within the requisite 32 hours following an incident. Very likely, AMS’s ranks of non U.S. owners will likely grow.

Barry Parker attended the AMS dinner on behalf of THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE. Barry regularly submits feature articles for our print editions, as well..