Health hazards and risks vulnerability of ship breaking workers: A case study on Sitakunda ship breaking industrial area of Bangladesh.

Muhammad  Muhibbullah

Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh.

Email: md_muhibbullah@yahoo.com

Accepted 11 November, 2013

Abstract

Ship breaking activities are facing both challenges and opportunities for coastal zone management in a holistic manner with increase of its demand of raw materials for re-rolling mills and other house hold purposes inspite of various negative impacts on coastal environments in Chittagong region of Bangladesh. An attempt has been taken to find out the socioeconomic condition and health hazard risks of workers due to ship breaking activities at the Sitakunda ship breaking industrial area in Chittagong region of Bangladesh. The present study was carried out based on the combination of primary and secondary sources of data during the period of September 2012 to August 2013. The socio economic condition of the ship breaking workers indicated that most of the workers are working at the ship yards with low facilities, risky and vulnerable by health and diseases. It is observed from the survey that most of the workers came from poverty stricken regions of Bangladesh, where opportunity of employment is very poor or less. The survey reveled that 59.59% workers are migrated from different districts and 40.40% workers are permanently living in the study area or the Chittagong. The observed common hazards of hazards and risks of ship breaking activities are divided into five categories namely; Serious accident related hazard, Physical hazards, Mechanical hazard, Biological hazard and Ergonomic and Psychological hazard on workers as well as residences nearest the breaking yards in the study area. Considering the positive role of ship breaking in national economy ship breaking can not be stopped. So, a sustainable approach should be taken to minimize the negative consequences and impacts of ship breaking activities in our coastal zone as well as in the study area.

Keywords: Ship breaking, Hazards, Vulnerability, Sitakunda, Bangladesh.