Chittagong, MAY 11: Bangladesh Ship Breakers Association (BSBA) Training Institute has been conducting a 20-day basic occupational training to its first ever batch of ship breaking workers since April 21 at the leased rooms of Youth Training Center at Halishhar in Chittagong. A total of 510 employees and workers from 60 ship breaking yards are being trained in the first ever batch of the institute, marine engineer Mohammad Emran Ullah Hoque, one of the trainers of the programme told ‘The Independent.’
“Following the directives of High Court we have established the training institute and involved experts from different disciplines such as marine engineering, health and safety, labour department and directorate of environment to design and conduct an effective basic course,” President of BSBA Hefazatur Rahman told ‘The Independent.’ He said that BSBA is trying to implement all the directives given by the court for the sustainable development of the industry.
There are many employees and workers who have vast experience but they did not have the basic knowledge of personal or occupational safety and about hazardous chemicals of the ships, he said.
“We are trying to give them all the necessary information and train them how to avoid accidents while cutting ships,” he added.
The ‘Ship Breaking Occupational Course’ has been designed by a group of experienced marine engineers, fire specialists, explosive specialists, health specialists, environment specialists and labour specialists of the sector, course coordinator Captain AKM Saiful Islam revealed.
The course will cover four basic parts of the occupations including personal safety and first aid, protection of environment pollution, basic fire fighting techniques and basic knowledge of ship breaking, he added.
Abdul Malek, station manager of CEPZ fire station and also a trainer of the course told ‘The Independent’ that in maximum cases fire incidents take place because of the ignorance and unawareness of the workers. We are trying to give trainees the basic knowledge of fire fighting and safety measures to avoid fire incidents.
Raihan Uddin, accounts officer of Rising Ship Breaking yard, told ‘The Independent’ that the course seemed very interesting and effective to him as he could learn many basic and important things about ship breaking from the course.
Another participant Choton Das, a labour foreman from 7B Association shipyard, said he had never imagined there were so many things to learn about ship breaking. “After completing this basic course we will be able to ensure our personal safety, reduce environment pollution, save our health and take immediate measure to fight with fire,” he said.
Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, an expert from health department and trainer of the course, said it is very important to know the first aid and long term health maintenance for the people working hard in the ship breaking industry. “We are trying to train them how to keep themselves fit and how to get the first aid in case of an accident at the yard,” he said.
Coordinator of Youth Training Center Aparna Deb said shipbreaking is a technical industry and the basic course will help the workers to do well in the field.
Zafar Alam, director for Directorate of Environment, Chittagong
Source: Thursday, 12 May 2011. By MIZANUR RAHMAN YOUSUF
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