--- title: "Cargo Giant That Took Out Bridge Had Silenced Whistleblower Who Warned About Safety" description: "Maersk, which chartered the ship that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge, was recently sanctioned by US regulators for stifling whistleblowers." date: "2024-03-27" modified: "2024-03-27" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/cargo-giant-bridge-silenced-whistleblower" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "Boats" - "cargo ships" - "shipping industry" - "the digest" --- # Cargo Giant That Took Out Bridge Had Silenced Whistleblower Who Warned About Safety ![Maersk, which chartered the ship that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge, was recently sanctioned by US regulators for stifling whistleblowers.]() *\Image: Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty / Futurism\* ## Rights Violations In incredibly unexpected news that absolutely no one saw coming, [*The Lever* reports]() that the shipping giant responsible for [Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse]() — a tragedy that's left at least six people [missing and presumed dead]() and [gutted the area's infrastructure]() — was recently sanctioned by US regulators for stifling whistleblowers. According to the *Lever*, the company, a Danish outfit called Maersk, was hit with the sanctions in July 2023 after a [Department of Labor investigation]() found that Maersk had retaliated against a worker who blew the whistle on unsafe working conditions. (Maersk didn't build or own the 948-foot cargo ship that collided with the bridge — it was built by a Singaporean company called Synergy Marine Group — but had chartered the ship for a client.) In its scathing sanctions order, the Department of Labor's Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) also revealed that the shipping giant had implemented a policy requiring employees to report any workplace concerns to the company "prior to reporting it to the \[Coast Guard\] or other authorities." As the *Lever* points out, this policy is in direct violation of [seaman protection law](). "This policy is reprehensible," reads the federal report, "and an egregious violation of the rights of employees." ## Sweeping Under Rugs The Department of Labor's report even confirmed that executives at the Danish shipper acknowledged the outcomes of the federal investigation, noting that Maersk's VP of Labor Relations "admits that this Reporting Policy requires seamen to report safety concerns to the company and allow it time to abate the conditions" before relaying issues to the Coast Guard or other regulators. In other words, the company fully acknowledged that its policy would allow it to bide its time "fixing" an issue before inviting federal agencies in for review — a broken system that could theoretically allow the shipper to avoid any of the real consequences that an immediate federal investigation might bring. ## Early Days In addition to the *Lever's* report today, a [striking *Business Insider* report]() revealed that in June 2023 — weeks before Maersk's citation was issued — the ship at the heart of the tragedy, named DALI, was noted to suffer propulsion issues. Though the Key Bridge tragedy is still in the earliest days of investigation, one thing we do know is that the boat suffered electrical and propulsion failures shortly before hitting the bridge. Maersk, for its part, [told *NBC*]() in a statement that it's "horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected." We're sure it is — as the company, along with the Synergy Group, has a lot to answer for. **More on bad corporate responses to whistleblowing:** [*Boeing Whistleblower Said He Was Being Harassed and Humiliated Before Death*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()