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Project Name: Green and Safer Ship Recycling in Bangladesh
Background of Project:
The ship recycling industry, established on the beaches of the Sitakunda coastal area in the Bay of Bengal, a few kilometers from Chattogram, has been consistently contributing to the national development of the country. It provides a significant supply of iron-based products, direct employment for at least thirty thousand workers, and serves as a major source of government revenue. However, many workers in this industry are injured or killed in accidents each year. The government has set a target for every yard in this industry to be certified as Hong Kong Convention Certified or Green Yard by 2025.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to support the government and the owners, assist in the development of the ship recycling industry, improve worker-owner relationships, encourage the strengthening of labor safety, and enforce labor laws and shipbreaking-related regulations. Additionally, considering the lack of training for most workers, the lack of necessary safety awareness in many yards for heavy industry work like shipbreaking, the constant influx of new workers into this industry, the need to prevent hazardous child labor, and environmental pollution, there is a need to further intensify safety awareness for the overall improvement of this industry.
To enhance worker protection and improve the working environment, it is essential to implement international laws, regulations, and guidelines. This requires the organization of safety training for workers, awareness programs, worker training and recreational facilities, exchange meetings, workshops, dialogues, and meaningful, impactful research. To address the limitations prevalent in most yards in terms of worker safety, it is necessary for the government, owners, and other organizations to take joint initiatives to utilize this industry for the country’s development through discussions.
The proposed project has been finalized by holding small group meetings with 100 community members and considering their opinions. The current ‘Green Ship Recycling’ project will be implemented to certify the yards in the ship recycling industry as environmentally friendly Hong Kong Convention Certified or Green Yards, and to improve worker safety and the working environment. The majority of the project’s field activities will be conducted in the shipbreaking industry area, focusing on increasing worker awareness and encouraging the use of safety equipment to enhance workers’ skills and improve the overall environment.
A significant task of the project is the establishment of a Safety Center: During the project period, a center will be established for worker training, worker support, and their recreation. The training center will be established as a popular and acceptable refuge for owners, workers, and all concerned parties, where they can discuss and solve their daily problems, receive training, learn about safety, spend their leisure time, and get necessary assistance in case of emergency medical needs or compensation for injured or deceased workers. During the project period, services such as worker safety training through discussions with the owners, providing safety information, ensuring compensation for injured or deceased workers, and providing workers with recreation, necessary advice, and emergency services will be provided.
The direct and indirect beneficiaries of the project are shipbreaking workers, owners, community members, local government representatives, members of local clubs, injured workers, or the families of deceased or affected workers, child laborers, and relevant stakeholders. Among them, the number of direct beneficiaries is 5000 and the indirect beneficiaries are the 20,000 workers engaged in shipbreaking, who will become aware of safety through the project’s awareness activities. The implementation of this project will be carried out by the sustainable development organization Young Power in Social Action (YPSA).
Goal: To Ensure Safer and Environment friendly ship recycling in Bangladesh.
Objective:
- To develop the capacity of 10 ship recycling yards in line with the HK convention and Ship recycling law by three years of time frame
- To empower 5,000 workers to achieve standard safety measures and rights in the yards
Project Duration: 01 June 2022 to 31 May 2025
Project Location
The program has been implemented in Chattogram District, including Sitakund Upazila.
Target Groups: Ship Breaking workers
Activities
| SL | Activity | Total Target |
| 01 | Training of Trainers (ToTs) on safe handling of asbestos from the ships. | 200 |
| 02 | ToTs for workers of cutting groups on safer cutting practices | 200 |
| 03 | TOTs on First aid and Emergency treatment and response. | 200 |
| 04 | Simulations/ Mock-Drill events of First Aid and Emergency fire response | 1000 |
| 05 | Conducting workshops on the principle and advantage of HKC (Hong Kong Convention) and Ship recycling facility plan (SRFP). government officials and relevant stakeholders. | 100 |
| 06 | Organizing Advocacy meetings to reach out the officials | 240 |
| 07 | Arranging Tripartite meetings with the representatives from owners, workers and government officials to find out the gaps and implements solutions. | 240 |
| 08 | Meetings with the ship recycling workers | 1800 |
| 09 | Coordination meetings with leading workers of the informal coalitions for inter-sharing | 240 |
| 10 | Training on communication and leadership to create leadership in the newcoming workers; | 125 |
| 11 | Yard-based and Community based Awareness campaign events | 720 |
| 12 | Organizing Monthly Health Camps for workers and their families. | 1080 |
Achievements:
- **Certification and Compliance**:
– Four ship recycling yards have been certified as green yards/HKC (Hong Kong Convention) compliant yards.
- **Safety Practices Implementation**:
– 20 yards have adopted safer methods for asbestos removal.
– Safer three-stage cutting processes have been implemented in 20 yards.
– Standard PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is provided to workers in 20 yards.
- **Formation of Safety Committees**:
– 42 safety committees, comprised solely of workers, have been established.
– 20 of these safety committees are within improved yards, and these yards now have dedicated Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) teams.
- **Emergency Response Preparedness**:
– 18 yards have formed an emergency rescue and response team.
- **Worker Training and Development**:
– 200 workers have been trained and are now part of a training pool to instruct others in safer asbestos removal techniques.
– Another 200 workers are in a training pool to train others on safer cutting practices.
– 200 workers have been developed as Field Aid Marshalls.
– 250 workers have been developed as Fire Safety Marshalls.