USL&H

UNITED STATES LONGSHORE AND HARBOR WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT

United States Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act / USL&H :

The United States Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act  (USL&H) is an important term to know.  It is a federal workers compensation law that applies to maritime employees who work on or over navigable waters in or adjacent to the United States. However, it does not apply to sailors, seamen, masters and crews of any ship, vessel or watercraft. The workers subject to this Act are usually not eligible for state workers compensation benefits because they work on or over navigable waters. They are also not eligible for coverage under the Jones Act or the Merchant Marine Act because they are not seamen. As a result, USL&H was needed to fill the coverage gap for this class of workers. The specific federal law addressing USL&H is found in US Code (1946), Title 33, Sections 901-950, as amended by Public Law 92-576.

The definition of a covered employee is very important because the United States Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (USL&H) was designed to provide coverage for a group of employees not adequately protected by state or maritime laws. It covers workers who load or unload vessels and repair or build vessels and perform these operations and duties on or over navigable waters of the United States of America. This includes any adjoining pier, wharf, dry dock, terminal, marine railway or similar facility normally used to load or unload ships and vessels and to repair or build vessels. Occupations eligible for coverage include, but are not limited to, longshore and harbor workers, shipbreakers, shiprepair persons and shipbuilders. Occupations not eligible for coverage include seamen, sailors, masters and members of a crew of any vessel, as well as clerical, office, automation support and security personnel.

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