Ship Breaking Industry in Bangladesh: Economic and Health Issues
Ship breaking Industry: Economy and Health issue
Md. Asifur Rahman Khan, Zarif Hossain, Faisal Shahriar Khan, Shovon parvez
Ship breaking industry is one of the promising sectors for Bangladesh. Many ship breaking yards in developing nations have lax or no environmental law, enabling large quantities of highly toxic materials to escape into the environment and causing serious health problems among ship breaker , the local population, and wildlife. In this study we will review the present status of ship breaking industry in Bangladesh and analyze health and economic issues of the labour working in this industry.
‘Vital to our economy’
Ship breaking activities in Bangladesh is concentrated in Sitakund (Bhatiary to Barwalia), just north of Chittagong city on the Bay of Bengal. •As we don't have any iron mine resources, ship-breaking is essential to boost our economic growth as it supplies the much-needed steel and iron to our domestic market. •The industry is worth around $1bn (£640m) and shipyard-owners say the sector employs nearly 200,000 workers
Bangladesh was the top ship recycling nation from 2004-2009. A total of 150 ships dismantled in 2011. 143 ships have already been broken in the first six months of 2012.
A cemetery for ships and men ship breaking takes an enormous toll on the surrounding environment, the local communities, fishery, agriculture, flora and fauna. This naturally causes serious environmental damage with long-term effects for occupational, public and environmental health.
Hazardous Work activities
•90 workers died in last 7 years 9 months, more than one worker died on an average per month • At least eight workers have lost their lives at the ship breaking yards in Bangladesh this year
Asbestos
• Workers take out asbestos insulation materials with their bare hands • inhalation may cause cancer and asbestosis. • POPs are chemicals that are highly toxic • cause serious health effects like cancers to disruption of hormonal
Md. Asifur Rahman Khan, Zarif Hossain, Faisal Shahriar Khan, Shovon parvez
Ship breaking industry is one of the promising sectors for Bangladesh. Many ship breaking yards in developing nations have lax or no environmental law, enabling large quantities of highly toxic materials to escape into the environment and causing serious health problems among ship breaker , the local population, and wildlife. In this study we will review the present status of ship breaking industry in Bangladesh and analyze health and economic issues of the labour working in this industry.
‘Vital to our economy’
Ship breaking activities in Bangladesh is concentrated in Sitakund (Bhatiary to Barwalia), just north of Chittagong city on the Bay of Bengal. •As we don't have any iron mine resources, ship-breaking is essential to boost our economic growth as it supplies the much-needed steel and iron to our domestic market. •The industry is worth around $1bn (£640m) and shipyard-owners say the sector employs nearly 200,000 workers
Bangladesh was the top ship recycling nation from 2004-2009. A total of 150 ships dismantled in 2011. 143 ships have already been broken in the first six months of 2012.
A cemetery for ships and men ship breaking takes an enormous toll on the surrounding environment, the local communities, fishery, agriculture, flora and fauna. This naturally causes serious environmental damage with long-term effects for occupational, public and environmental health.
Hazardous Work activities
•90 workers died in last 7 years 9 months, more than one worker died on an average per month • At least eight workers have lost their lives at the ship breaking yards in Bangladesh this year
Asbestos
• Workers take out asbestos insulation materials with their bare hands • inhalation may cause cancer and asbestosis. • POPs are chemicals that are highly toxic • cause serious health effects like cancers to disruption of hormonal