Major West Coast Employer Group Recognizes Foss Line-Handlers' Safety Record

Pacific Maritime Association gives four awards that underscore company-wide emphasis on accident prevention

A major maritime employer group has recognized the outstanding safety record of the Foss Maritime workers who tie up and release ships at Puget Sound ports.

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) - whose members include key Foss customers - honored the company's ongoing commitment to safety and accident prevention with four awards.  Foremost was the recognition of Foss Line Service for reducing its annual injury rate more than any of its Washington state-based competitors.  Foss line-handlers recorded no time lost for injuries in 2010.

Gary Faber, President and COO of Foss Maritime, lauded Foss Line Service's achievement:  "Our customers expect this, which is why we appreciate the recognition coming from the Pacific Maritime Association.  We promote a culture of safety and innovation within our organization.  They are core values.  When a ship ties up at a port in Washington, it's understood that Foss line-handlers are the industry's best."

In addition to being recognized for recording the greatest reduction in injury rates, Foss Line Services took home three other honors:

First Place Safety Award, Washington state, based on incident rates as determined by federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable injury reporting.

First Place Accident Prevention Award, West Coast-wide, based on incident rates as determined by OSHA recordable injury reporting.
Accident Prevention Award, West Coast-wide, for a zero injury rate.

Brian Goodwin, Foss' Line Service manager, said, "I am very proud of these awards.  It shows that our continued focus on safety and zero-time-loss injuries is being recognized by maritime industry leaders all along the West Coast.

Foss' Vice President Safety Quality and General Counsel Frank Williamson added:  "This is well-deserved recognition for our Line-handling Division. The Line-handling team has exhibited a genuine commitment to making their operation completely safe and as a result they have now gone more than two full years without a time-loss injury.  Congratulations to Brian and his group for a job well done."

The Pacific Maritime Association is the employer group for companies that have contracts with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). Its member companies are cargo carriers, terminal operators and stevedores that operate on West Coast ports, where overall cargo movement supports 8 million American jobs.

Foss line-handlers are ILWU members.

Foss accepted the awards at the Pacific Maritime Association's 63rd annual Washington Area Safety Banquet at the Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, March 2.