For decades, dismantling decommissioned ships has been seen as a controversial industry. Huge cruise ships at the end of their lives – as well as cargo ships – are sent to countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey or India, where they will be systematically dismantled and sold to scrap collectors.
But the industry is largely unregulated and unfortunately, on average, at least one person dies every week as a result of a work accident. In 2016, a Bangladeshi worker was crushed to death by a giant steel plate, and three more people were killed in similar incidents that same week — a disaster that left eight men battling life-changing injuries in hospital.
Dismantling ships – one of the most dangerous jobs in the world (Photo: Reuters)
About a decade before, in 1995, a man working in the dark of the night fell from a height of about ten meters into an empty tank, where he was seriously injured. Hours later he was rescued but later died of his injuries. In addition to this, the salary that the employees receive is unfair and lower than usual.
According to news.com.au, Glenn Thompson, assistant national secretary of the Australian Manufacturers Association, visited the Chittagong scrapyard in Bangladesh in 2015. Afterwards, he said: “There are unclear parts lying around, workers without basic protective gear, Without gloves or shoes – and this despite dealing with chemicals and deadly gases emitted from the ships.”
Workers without basic protective equipment (Photo: Reuters)
According to the organization Shipbreaking Platform, at least ten workers lost their lives while dismantling vessels ashore in Bangladesh, while 33 were seriously injured in 2022. Local sources also reported three deaths in Alang, India, and three injuries in Gadni, Pakistan. In addition, it was discovered that 443 commercial ships were sold to scrapyards in 2022.
Ingvild Jensen, CEO and founder of the organization, said: “We have been witnessing a human rights scandal for too long.” Although the vast majority of scrap dealers support the abolition of the final fleet in South Asia, a 2021 BBC investigation revealed that 13 Ships from Britain were again sent to the death traps.
Death Trap (Photo: Reuters)