Experts call for sharing safety lessons across ship recycling yards
The call came after 10 workers died from hydrogen sulphide exposure at a Sitakunda ship recycling yard last month.
Bangladesh can significantly reduce accidents in the ship recycling industry by learning from previous incidents and implementing preventive measures, said a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) expert.
"If we can learn lessons from accidents and implement preventive actions, we can drastically reduce the number of accidents," said Akira Okamoto, a JICA ship recycling expert.
He stressed the need to share lessons from accidents across the industry to strengthen safety management at individual yards.
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Okamoto made the remarks at a safety awareness programme organised by the Ministry of Industries and JICA at Hotel Agrabad in Chattogram today (19 September).
His comments came after 10 workers died from hydrogen sulphide exposure at a ship recycling yard in Sitakunda on 14 August.
Mohammad Mohsin Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), said the industry had reduced accidents following the introduction of green yards and was complying with the requirements of the Hong Kong Convention.
However, he said the recent incident involving a ballast tank was a new experience for the industry.
"We had no mental preparation for this because it was a new experience," he said, noting that two ballast tanks had previously been cut without any accidents.
The incident has provided the industry with a new lesson on preventing similar accidents in the future, he added.
Rashidul Islam, secretary of the Ship Recycling Wing at the Ministry of Industries, said the government was working to bring casualties in the sector down to zero.
He said authorities were strengthening inspections, emergency response and coordination among relevant agencies to improve workplace safety.
Dr Easir Arafat Khan, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), delivered a presentation explaining the scientific causes behind the Ferdous Steel accident.
Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Dr Zia Uddin and Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board Director General (in-charge) Gazi Assaduzzaman Kabir also spoke at the programme.
Members of the BSBRA, safety officials from ship recycling yards and other industry stakeholders took part in the knowledge-sharing workshop.
Speakers said stronger safety management at individual yards, along with industry-wide sharing of lessons from accidents, would be crucial to reducing casualties in the ship recycling sector.
