Global marine cargo services company Maersk Line Ltd. agreed to change its safety reporting policy as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor following the firing of a seaman who raised workplace safety concerns.
The settlement, which the DOL announced Friday, came after a three-day hearing in Boston in June during which Maersk contested the allegation that it illegally fired the seaman, who had reported safety concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration had found Maersk’s policy forbidding employees from contacting the Coast Guard or regulatory agencies without first notifying the company violated the federal Seaman’s Protection Act.
The retaliatory firing came after the seaman alerted the Coast Guard to safety concerns aboard the Safmarine Mafadi container ship, including a failure to repair or replace lifeboat equipment, improper supervision of cadet seamen, and a failure to repair a bilge system to prevent cargo holds from flooding, the DOL said.
The settlement mandates Maersk end its requirement that workers first notify the company before contacting the Coast Guard or regulatory agencies, refrain from retaliating against whistleblowers, and provide enhanced supervisor training.
Maersk, which didn’t admit to violations of the Seaman’s Protection Act as part of the settlement, agreed to compensate the fired seaman for lost wages and damages.