How are winners chosen? What is the criteria?

Since 2007, AEU has annually recognized the ALMA members with the most effective safety programs. The awards are based on calendar year and are acknowledged at various AEU events the following year including the annual ALMA Conference.  

The selection process for award winners considers several factors, including:

• Lost-time case frequency: The ratio of lost-time cases to payroll during the calendar year.
• Lost-time case severity: The ratio of total incurred losses from lost-time cases to payroll during the calendar year.
• Strength of the safety program: Verification that the member maintains a comprehensive, management-driven safety program.

Members are ranked based on frequency and severity metrics. The highest-ranking members are then reviewed to confirm their results reflect strong safety practices and effective management controls.

While the number of award recipients may fluctuate from year to year, the final slate represents a small percentage of the overall ALMA membership, typically less than two percent, and reflects a cross-section of industries within the association. While many industry associations recognize safety performance, the AEU Safety Award criteria are designed to measure both incident prevention and the effectiveness of management-based safety controls.

Can an ALMA member be a repeat winner of an AEU Safety Award?

We often see repeat winners of the AEU Safety Awards. This is because each year all ALMA members are ranked per the aforementioned criteria, regardless of whether or not they are a prior Safety Award winner. Since companies with strong safety programs often continue on that same path, we frequently see the same ALMA members at or near the top of the list. 

Why don’t we offer credit on premium to winners? 

Safety performance and claims history is monitored by an AEU underwriter throughout the policy term and are used to evaluate and calculate pricing at each renewal. This means members are always receiving the earned premium credits regardless of whether or not they are an AEU Safety Award winner.  AEU Safety Award winners are eligible for sponsorship of their company’s employee recognition event, should they choose to have one.

What are the benefits of winning an AEU Safety Award? 

The AEU Safety Awards have become a competitive and coveted industry-wide award program.  Due to the large number of members in ALMA across the maritime industry, the AEU Safety Award program is a true representation of all industries covered by the Longshore Act. Winners of the AEU Safety Awards often use this recognition as a means of illustrating their commitment to an effective safety program in their industry. This recognition is meaningful not only to industry peers, but also to current and potential customers who value a company’s commitment to employee safety. It demonstrates to these current and prospective customers that the company is well-managed, not only in incident prevention but also in terms of production, efficiency and avoidance of all types of losses. 

Additional benefits of winning an AEU Safety Award include:

• Representation from AEU at an optional employee recognition event
• Guidance on public relations related to award, including building interest among local media, industry media, and public officials
• Acknowledgment at AEU events, including the ALMA Conference and the AEU Spring National Forum
• One invitation to that year’s ALMA Conference (if company does not already qualify)
• One promotional video featuring your company as an award winner