3 September, 2010For the first time ever a shipbreaking yard was fined for a worker's death in Bangladesh
BANGLADESH: On August 29 the Bangladeshi Department of Environment fined the Sultana Shipbreaking Yard located in Sitakunda upazila of the Chitagong district for ignoring workers' safety and environmental pollution.
The proceeding started after one worker died and four others were injured as a result of a fire on July 12, 2010 while cutting an oil tanker at the shipbreaking yard. According to the certificate of the department of explosives the fire started because of residual petroleum substances contained in the tanker.
Following an investigation the national Department of Environment noted violations of health and safety provisions at the yard, lack of safety measures and rescue facilities for workers. The Department also noticed the yard pollutes the air through burning the oily substances.
Based on the violations the yard was fined for an amount of 700,000 BDT (around US$10,000). This is a first time in over 30 years that a shipbreaking yard has been penalised for the lack of safety for their workers in Bangladesh.