Chattogram Bureau :
Ship breaking accidents happens every year, due to mishandling of processes and not knowing if any flammable chemicals are stocked inside or the flaming materials or conditions that ill trained welding mechanics never know, as a result many explosions have killed so many workers in the history of ship breaking.
Working in the ship breaking yards is a very dangerous job, which involves many human health risks.
Sometimes gases explode killing workers. It also happens that workers are crushed by tumbling or falling steel parts.
Sometimes workers fall from the high sides of ships on which they are working without safety harnesses. Few wear shoes, let alone protective clothing. Local organizations in Bangladesh estimate that some 1000-2000 workers have died in the last 30 years, and many more have suffered serious injuries.
General health statistics show that the percentage of people with disabilities in the Chattogram area is above average for the country as a whole, because many workers have lost limbs or got other disabilities from working in the ship breaking yards.
The laborers lack basic equipment. When a new ship arrives, there are containers, chambers and tanks, which contain oil, petroleum and poisonous gases. One method used for checking the level of danger in these parts of the ship is to lower down chickens in a string to check whether there are dangerous gases.
If the chickens survive, the first workers will enter to clean for oil, petroleum and other flammable substances. The flammable substances are often burned off before the cutters enter to rip the ship apart. Gas explosions are a common phenomenon.
The Government of Bangladesh has recently introduced new national policies and legislation to improve the environmental and occupational health and safety standards in the ship breaking yards.
Labor Law Act 2006 has provisions on working conditions, health and safety, hours, leave and compensation. However, enforcement and compliance is almost non existent. There is a lack political will and resources on the Government side while the owner’s see no reason to comply.
The ship breaking industry started its operations in the 1960s when a Greek ship ‘MD Alpine’ was stranded on the shores of Sitakund, Chattogram after a severe cyclone. The ship remained there for a long time before the Chattogram Steel House brought the vessel and scrapped it. During the Liberation War in 1971, a Pakistani ship ‘Al Abbas’ was damaged by bombing.
It was later salvaged and brought to the Fauzdarhat seashore. In 1974, Karnaphuli Metal Works Ltd bought it as scrap, introducing commercial ship breaking in Bangladesh. The industry flourished during the 1980s. Today it has become large and profitable industry for Bangladesh.
Ship breaking accidents happens every year, due to mishandling of processes and not knowing if any flammable chemicals are stocked inside or the flaming materials or conditions that ill trained welding mechanics never know, as a result many explosions have killed so many workers in the history of ship breaking.
Working in the ship breaking yards is a very dangerous job, which involves many human health risks.
Sometimes gases explode killing workers. It also happens that workers are crushed by tumbling or falling steel parts.
Sometimes workers fall from the high sides of ships on which they are working without safety harnesses. Few wear shoes, let alone protective clothing. Local organizations in Bangladesh estimate that some 1000-2000 workers have died in the last 30 years, and many more have suffered serious injuries.
General health statistics show that the percentage of people with disabilities in the Chattogram area is above average for the country as a whole, because many workers have lost limbs or got other disabilities from working in the ship breaking yards.
The laborers lack basic equipment. When a new ship arrives, there are containers, chambers and tanks, which contain oil, petroleum and poisonous gases. One method used for checking the level of danger in these parts of the ship is to lower down chickens in a string to check whether there are dangerous gases.
If the chickens survive, the first workers will enter to clean for oil, petroleum and other flammable substances. The flammable substances are often burned off before the cutters enter to rip the ship apart. Gas explosions are a common phenomenon.
The Government of Bangladesh has recently introduced new national policies and legislation to improve the environmental and occupational health and safety standards in the ship breaking yards.
Labor Law Act 2006 has provisions on working conditions, health and safety, hours, leave and compensation. However, enforcement and compliance is almost non existent. There is a lack political will and resources on the Government side while the owner’s see no reason to comply.
The ship breaking industry started its operations in the 1960s when a Greek ship ‘MD Alpine’ was stranded on the shores of Sitakund, Chattogram after a severe cyclone. The ship remained there for a long time before the Chattogram Steel House brought the vessel and scrapped it. During the Liberation War in 1971, a Pakistani ship ‘Al Abbas’ was damaged by bombing.
It was later salvaged and brought to the Fauzdarhat seashore. In 1974, Karnaphuli Metal Works Ltd bought it as scrap, introducing commercial ship breaking in Bangladesh. The industry flourished during the 1980s. Today it has become large and profitable industry for Bangladesh.
