Livelihood Assessment and Occupational Health Hazard of the Ship-Breaking Industry Workers at Chattogram, Bangladesh

Abstract

The ship-breaking industry has become a promising sector in Bangladesh by contributing to the country’s primary steel demand as raw material for re-rolling mills, providing livelihood opportunities for the poor. This paper investigates the livelihood index and health hazards of workers engaged in ship-breaking activities at the Bhatiari coast of Chattogram, Bangladesh. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through participatory rural assessment (PRA) tools that included 128 individual interviews (II), ten focus group discussions (FGDs), and 15 key informant interviews (KIIs). The workers’ livelihoods revealed that workers lack basic facilities and are exposed to occupational health hazards due to working in a risky environment. Workers of different origins claimed to have 1 to 6 years of work experience and worked 11 to 12 h a day. More than 60% of workers reported being injured or suffering from various physical problems such as blurred vision, abdominal pain, and skin problems. Labor-intensive and unstable occupations, limited access to medical services, poor housing and sanitation, and lack of basic safety requirements increase workers’ plight. Therefore, the study offers advanced protective equipment, better medical facilities, and a safe workplace to improve the workers’ livelihoods.

Environmental hazards and health rights of workers in shipbreaking in Bangladesh

“…Usually, these labourers are less aware of their health, safety and environment. They actually cannot afford to care much about the environment, health and safety issues, as they are more concerned about their basic livelihood (Ahamad et al , 2021).…”

“…However, the shipbreaking sector poses a major challenge to the worker’s health and the surrounding environment. It creates huge work opportunities for poor people, but the working environment is mostly risky (Ahamad et al , 2021). Accidents, injuries and various diseases in this sector are common and regular (Mitra et al , 2020).…”

“…Accidents are very common phenomena. The injuries and deaths of the workers are also very common and regular (Ahamad et al , 2021; Das and Ali Shahin, 2019). The regular accidents may be major and minor and may cause death and huge injuries.…”

“…It also supports the development of national regulations. Moreover, the ILO strategies are “designed to assist shipbreakers and competent authorities in applying the relevant provisions of ILO standards, codes of practice, and other directives on occupational safety, health, and working conditions, and other relevant international organisations’ provisions tools in a manner aimed at gradually improving them” (Ahamad et al , 2021, p. 2). Bangladesh Shipbreaking and Recycling Rules, 2011, has included most of the guidelines of the ILO (2004).…”