Scrapping Toxic Ships on Bangladesh's Beaches

Workers dismantling a ship without adequate protective equipment in Chattogram Bangladesh. © 2023 Anukta via HRW

European shipping companies are knowingly dumping their old ships for scrap on Bangladesh’s beaches, where workers dismantle them under dangerous and polluting conditions.

Since 2020, approximately 20,000 Bangladeshi workers have ripped apart more than 520 ships on the country’s beaches, far more tonnage than in any other country.

A new report by Human Rights Watch and NGO Shipbreaking Platform reveals an entire network used by shipowners to circumvent international regulations prohibiting the scrapping of ships in places without adequate environmental or labor protection.

Treacherous Work

The International Labour Organization has described shipbreaking as one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. 

In Bangladesh, the life expectancy for men in the shipbreaking industry is 20 years lower than the average.

It’s clear why.

Workers told Human Rights Watch how their legs were cut off by falling iron, how they fell from multiple stories, or were trapped inside a ship when it caught fire or pipes exploded. They described using their own socks as gloves to avoid burning their hands as they cut through molten steel, wrapping their shirts around their mouths to avoid inhaling toxic fumes.

Ships contain toxic materials such as asbestos, heavy metals, and oil. A 2017 study found that more than one third of shipbreaking workers surveyed suffered health complications from asbestos exposure. - Human Rights Watch