The Shipbreaking Workers Trade Union Forum has blamed prolonged safety lapses, violations of safety regulations, and negligence by those responsible for the deaths of nine workers from toxic gas exposure at Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries in Sitakunda’s Bhatiary.
Calling the incident more than a mere accident, forum leaders demanded a transparent and impartial investigation and criminal action against those responsible.
They made the demands at a protest rally and human chain held at Chattogram Press Club around 2pm today (16 August).
The forum’s convener Tapan Dutta presided over the programme, while member secretary Fazlul Kabir Mintu moderated it.
Poet and journalist Abu Momen, Professor (Dr) M Abu Sayeed, AM Nazim Uddin, Rizwanur Rahman Khan, Nurul Absar and leaders of several labour organisations also spoke at the event.
Workers’ lives cannot be valued below profit
Poet and journalist Abu Momen said the death of nine workers in a single incident at one yard was deeply tragic and alarming.
“Workers’ lives can never be valued below industrial production and profit,” he said, stressing that both shipyard owners and relevant government agencies must effectively fulfil their responsibilities to ensure workplace safety.
Professor Dr M Abu Sayeed said ensuring workers’ safety was a responsibility of both employers and the state.
“The death of nine workers in a single accident proves that there were serious safety deficiencies somewhere,” he said.
He called for an impartial investigation to determine the actual cause of the accident and demanded strict legal action against those responsible.
Questions raised over gas-free certificate
AM Nazim Uddin, joint convener of the forum and president of the Nationalist Labour Party’s Chattogram divisional committee, said gas testing and oxygen-level measurements must be mandatory before workers enter ship tanks or other hazardous spaces.
Adequate ventilation and continuous gas monitoring during work must also be ensured, he said.
“But in reality, these safety measures are not being properly followed,” Nazim said.
He also questioned whether workers engaged in hazardous operations were provided with adequate respirators and other personal protective equipment.
He said the authorities should investigate whether proper respiratory protection could have prevented the deaths.
Forum convener Tapan Dutta questioned how toxic gas could have been detected inside a tank of a vessel that had received a gas-free certificate.
“How was toxic gas found in the tank of a vessel that had been certified as gas-free?” he asked.
The investigation should establish whether proper testing was conducted before the certificate was issued and whether regular gas testing was carried out after the certificate was issued, he said.
This cannot be treated as just an accident
Tapan Dutta said the death of nine workers in a single incident was a “horrific and unprecedented” event in the shipbreaking industry.
He claimed that no incident over the past 25 years had resulted in the deaths of so many workers at one yard at the same time.
“This death cannot simply be treated as an accident. We have to find out whether there were deficiencies in safety measures and negligence by those responsible,” he said.
Forum leaders said workers had long been demanding that hazardous work be assigned only to trained workers and authorised contractors.
However, their demands had not been properly implemented, leaving workers exposed to life-threatening risks, they said.
They also alleged that accidents and worker deaths have continued in the shipbreaking industry for years without effective accountability.
Although investigation committees are formed after accidents, those responsible often do not face effective criminal cases or disciplinary action after investigations, they said.
As a result, shipyard owners are becoming increasingly reckless about complying with safety regulations, the speakers alleged.
Demands impartial probe, criminal cases
The speakers said the district administration has formed a nine-member committee to investigate the Ferdous Steel accident.
However, merely forming an investigation committee would not be enough, they said. The investigation must be completed quickly and transparently and impartially, with those responsible identified and brought under the law.
They demanded appropriate compensation for the families of the nine deceased workers and full medical treatment for those injured in the accident.
They also called for criminal cases against the shipyard owner and others responsible for the deaths.
The forum further demanded mandatory gas testing before work begins on every vessel and regular gas monitoring throughout operations.
It also called for adequate personal protective equipment for workers and mandatory deployment of trained and skilled workers for hazardous operations.
“Workers’ lives are in no way less valuable than owners’ profits,” the speakers said, demanding accountability and exemplary punishment for those responsible.
They said authorities should not consider their responsibility fulfilled merely by forming an investigation committee and urged the government to introduce permanent measures to ensure safe working conditions across the shipbreaking industry.
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