Green yards, deadly reality

CHATTOGRAM Aug 16: Despite being certified as environmentally compliant, shipbreaking yards along the Sitakunda-Fouzderhat coast continue to pose serious risks to workers, with nine labourers killed in an accident at Ferdous Steel on August 14.

The yard, whose government authorisation is valid until October 29, 2030, is among those certified as “green”. The latest deaths have once again raised questions about whether the safety standards required for green shipbreaking yards are being properly enforced.

Earlier, six workers were killed and six others injured in accidents at green yards, according to industry sources.

A green yard is expected to comply with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Guidelines for Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling under the Hong Kong Convention (HKC). Such yards are required to maintain strict environmental and occupational safety standards, including safety protocols, personal protective equipment and worker training.

Bangladesh now has 23 ship-recycling yards classified as green, of which 17 have been formally notified to the IMO under the HKC. SN Corporation became the country’s second green shipbreaking yard, while PHP Ship Breaking and Recycling Industries Limited became the first to comply with the HKC and dismantled the first green non-hazardous ship, Victoria, in April 2018.

However, the recent accidents suggest that certification alone has not been enough to ensure workers’ safety.

Shipbreaking industry sources attributed such accidents to a shortage of skilled manpower and technical experts. The industry, which has led the global shipbreaking market for the past nine years, is also facing difficulties in meeting international environmental standards. Following Bangladesh’s ratification of the HKC in 2023, yards were required to meet the standards by June 2025, but a shortage of skilled workers and technical experts, coupled with financial constraints, has made the transition difficult.

The latest incident at Ferdous Steel also came despite previous warnings from the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE). The department inspected the yard on February 9 and found shortcomings in worker safety and labour rights. Inspectors found that workers had not been adequately informed about safety equipment and safe working procedures, while the yard had failed to submit a required risk assessment report for shipbreaking operations. DIFE subsequently issued several notices seeking corrective action.