Bangladesh Ship Breakers Association (BSBA):

BSBA is an organization established for the welfare of ship recycling activities in Bangladesh. It safeguards the rights of its members and ensures and environment friendly ship recycling activities helps the industry to grow, develop and make Bangladesh as number one ship recycling nation in the world which we are since 1984. The president of the association along with its member are leading the industry to reestablish itself with improved infrastructure, better working standard and safety standards. The industry is committed to continual improvement in occupational safety, Health, environmental standards, monitoring &nbps; & control process. The industry is vibrant and with the help of all stakeholders will come with a new look in coming years.

Development works:

• By creating a special zone improvement of approachments, roads at the recycling yards are being dealt with by the local government. A service road parallel to the yards is in process. Paking provisions for the trucks have also been made. Footpaths have been provided for workers.
• Lighting arrangements at the work sites have been improved as a measure to enhancing safety.
• A permanent training institute is under process with Norad.
• Fire-fighting facilities are available. This is in addition to the fire-fighting facilities available at individual yards.
• Small landfill sites within the yards are available and construction of bigger landfill site to accommodate wastes from all yards and reception facility is under process with Norad.

Safety Measures Taken For Workers:

• The employer’s of BSBA provides its worker with PPE (Hand tools, Safety helmets, Eye Shields, Hard Hats, Globes, Apron, Overall protective equipment) through their contractors.
• The yard management has taken initiatives to build safety consciousness among workers by arranging training workshops.
• All recycling facilities provide accommodation sanitation, washing and canteen facilities for their workers as far as practicable. Improvements are done subject to the availability of funds.
• To ensure safety more mechanized methods (Magnetic grabs/ Cranes, Crawl cranes, Tow motor etc.) of handling are introduced. Lack of sufficient funds prevents quick procurement of equipment.
• Hazmats are handled with care e.g. oils are pumped & filled in drums for onward shore use and other sent to appropriate recycling industries.

Thirty (36) yards are in operation till 2007, Ten (10) more old yards went in operation by 2008. Four old and ten new yards went in operation in mid 2009. Twenty five yards are under development and likely to go in operation by 2010 to cope with global increasing of phasing out.

Labor welfare activities:

• Presently association members and workers are affliated with ten clinics for various treatments.
• A five stored modern hospital with 250 beds are built by the Association's funding mechanism.
• Upon completion and commissioning of the hospital will provide free medical check up and treatment to workers, families and the local community.
• First aid medical facilities are provided in most of the yards.
• A qualified doctor is provided for the every three yards.

Source: BSBA official website -

http://www.bsba.org.bd/page.php?id=14