April 25th, 2005

Recent reports have shown that ship dismantling – a task that was once carried out in Europe – has now moved mainly to Asian countries, where the costs of dismantling are far cheaper. However, although the ship owners save a fortune by getting the dismantling carried out in poorer countries, this method seems to be costing the Asian countries in terms of life. The dismantling is carried out with minimal protection and machinery and often with children helping, which is why the costs are so low.

In the past, this dismantling was carried out in Europe, and because of all the protective equipment, machinery, and of course higher wages that were required, was a costly task for the ship owners. However, having the ships dismantled in these poorer Asian countries has saved ship owners a fortune because of the lack of technology and the low cost of labor.

Many of the workers that dismantle the ships have been killed by explosions and suffocation due to the lack of protection while working on the ships. Many more are expected to contract mesothelioma in years to come due to exposure to asbestos from dismantling the ships. These ships are often dismantled by people using their bare hands, with little or no protection, which is where the risks arise.

It is thought that around ninety percent of the ship breaking operation are carried out in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, and China. In the poorer countries, wages of less than $2.50 per day.