JB Marine Receives AEU Safety Award
JB Marine Service Inc., a four-drydock shipyard at Mile 168 on the Upper Mississippi River in St. Louis, received its second AEU (American Equity Underwriters) Safety Award at a ceremony September 23 at the company’s yard. AEU presented JB Marine its first award in 2018.
The award is given to a company based on the frequency and severity of lost-time injuries. AEU compares the number of cases to payroll to determine frequency and the cost of all injuries to payroll to determine severity, as compared to companies of similar size.
“Your team earned the safety award,” said AEU’s managing director, David Widener, with emphasis on the word ‘earned,’ as he made the presentation.
AEU is the nation’s leading marine workers’ compensation specialist and the program administrator for the American Longshore Mutual Association, also known as ALMA. Altogether, AEU insures more than 1,500 marine companies across the United States. Out of its 1,500 members, JB Marine Service was 1 of only 25 receiving a safety award (see WJ, June 20).
“The company partners with Michael Kennedy and Tracey Iverson at Aon Risk Services to put together the best possible workers compensation program for your company,” Widener told JB Marine employees at the ceremony. “It takes commitment every day to work safely. This award is an acknowledgement from us that you truly value one another’s health and lives.
It is truly the highest honor we can bestow upon a member,” said Widener, adding, “I hope to deliver another one of these awards in the future.”
In response, JB Marine President George Foster credited his workers for having developed “a great safety culture,” which shows every day. “It is very important to all of us that all of you go home in the evening the same way you came to work,” he said. “I also want to thank Les, Paul and our entire management team at the shipyard for their leadership and dedication to our safety program.”
Caption for photo: JB Marine officials George Foster, president (left), and Les Kapper, director of safety (right), receive the AEU Safety Award from David Widener, managing director of American Equity Underwriters.
