UASC

UASC is the United Arab Shipping Company, a Middle East-based shipping company that merged with Hapag-Loyd in 2017. The company takes safety precautions but has experienced a number of accidents, that caused harm only to vessels and even led to the deaths of workers. Companies like UASC have a responsibility to protect workers, and when they don’t, those workers may seek compensation thanks to maritime law.

About UASC

The United Arab Shipping Company was founded in 1976. It began as a collaboration between six Middle Eastern countries on the Persian Gulf:

• Saudi Arabia
• The United Arab Emirates
• Qatar
• Bahrain
• Iraq
• Kuwait

The original headquarters were in Kuwait, but eventually moved to Dubai. Its main ports were Dubai, Malaysia, Germany, Istanbul, Turkey, and Georgia in the U.S.

The modern company became known for using innovative technologies and developing a state-of-the-art fleet of large shipping vessels. One of its initiatives was a system called TRUST, which was designed to integrate operations and facilitate faster and more efficient communication throughout the fleet.

UASC partnered with several organizations, including the World Shipping Council and the United Arab Chemical Carriers.

The company also received numerous industry awards:

• The Maritime Standard Ship Owner/Operator Award
• The Environmental Responsibility and Green Shipping Awards
• The Shipping Company of the Year 

In 2017, UASC officially merged with shipping giant Hapag-Loyd.

Services and Operations

UASC’s primary type of service and focus of operations was on container shipping. The container vessels in the fleet traveled worldwide on several regular routes, fulfilling the company’s goal of connecting the Middle East to the world.

Some of these routes included China to Northern Europe and back to the Middle East, from the Mediterranean to West Africa, and from the Mediterranean to South America, among many others.

As the company grew over the decades since its 1970s founding, it diversified its services. In addition to container shipping, UASC offers:

• Storage services
• Warehousing
• Freight forwarding
• Trucking
• Logistics
• Air cargo
• Chartering
• Ship repair
• Maintenance and repair of containers

It also offered customs brokerage and special shipping services for various cargo types, including petrochemicals like liquefied natural gas.

UASC Fleet

The current UASC fleet, before its merger with Hapag-Lloyd, numbered in the 60s but was expected to grow. The fleet grew because of the merger and because UASC is ordering billions of dollars in newly constructed, large container ships.

The current fleet includes several classes of container ships with TEU capacities ranging from 4,000 to over 18,000. The company had seventeen new ships on order, all in the 15,000 or 18,000 TEU class. The design of these new ships is supposed to be focused on efficiency and environmental safety.

UASC Accidents

The company proved to be committed to environmental safety, but its track record of accidents, worker injuries, and death is not as impressive. UASC suffered many accidents and terrible incidents over the years.

Collision with Fishing Boat

The worst of these led to the deaths of 25 people. In 2014, the El Safat, one of UASC’s container ships, collided with a fishing boat in the Gulf of Suez in Egypt.

Naturally, the fishing boat fared worse in the accident, and of the 40 crew on board, only 15 were saved. The rest of the crew lost their lives. The El Safat did not stop after the incident until it reached the Port of Safaga, much further south.

The captain and first mate on the ship were detained and eventually charged with manslaughter. The families of the deceased also filed claims against UASC, seeking compensation for their losses.

Cargo Hold Fall

UASC also experienced tragedy in 2008 on board its ship, the Najran, while it was docked in Hong Kong. A stevedore was on the ship, on a walkway on a lashing platform between cargo holds, when he fell 20 meters into the cargo hold. The injuries he sustained from the fall proved to be fatal.

The investigation found that the fencing that should have been on the walkway to prevent falls had been removed. The area was also found to have been inadequately lit. UASC was negligent in not providing a safe work environment for this longshoreman.

Lost Containers

Human error and mistakes don’t always cause accidents for companies like UASC. In 2016, the large container ship Al Zubara was damaged, and containers were lost when a storm struck it in the Mediterranean.

The ship was on its maiden voyage when it was hit by huge waves from the storm and incurred minor damage. Three containers were lost, and others were damaged. Fortunately, no workers were hurt in this incident.

Maritime Law

Workers who are hurt in such incidents, whether the ultimate cause is natural, like rough seas, or caused by human error, like in collisions, have rights under maritime law.

The families filing claims against UASC over the loss of their loved ones are likely to see a settlement because the captain and first mate of the ship were negligent in the collision. They were not only negligent but charged under criminal law as well.

Maritime workers have rights even when the case is not as cut and dry as the terrible incident in Egypt. They work in a dangerous industry, and laws are in place to ensure they can get compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future lost earnings. The dependents of workers involved in fatal incidents are also extended these rights.

If you are a maritime worker and work for a maritime company, be sure that you know your rights. Know what steps to take if you are injured, and ensure your family knows what to do if you die on the job.

A maritime lawyer can help guide you during a difficult time and ensure you can get the compensation you need.