NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined that a marine cargo company violated the Seaman’s Protection Act.
According to a press release, a whistleblower investigation showed that Maersk Line Limited, whose headquarters are based in Norfolk, terminated a seaman after they reported safety concerns on one of the company’s vessels to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Below are the following concerns that the seaman expressed in December 2020 about the vessel Safmarine Mafadi:
- The gear used to release lifeboats did not work properly and needed to be repaired and replaced
- On several occasions, a ship’s trainee was alone and unsupervised while on the ship’s watch, including during one incident when a fuel and oil spill occurred that took the crew two days to clean
- Crew members were possessing and possibly consuming alcohol onboard
- Two leaks in the starboard tunnel were found during an inspection
- Rusted, corroded, and broken deck sockets needed to be repaired and replaced
Maersk Line Limited then suspended the seaman for making the complaint without letting the company know first. The company then terminated the seaman in March 2021.
The Seaman’s Protection Act protects seamen aboard a U.S.-registered vessel, or any vessel owned by a U.S. citizen, to report safety concerns or violations with federal officials at any time.
OSHA has now ordered the cargo company to reinstate the seaman as well as pay $457,759 in back wages, interest, compensatory damages, and $250,000 in punitive damages.