EXPERIENCE ON ASBESTOS EXPERIENCE ON ASBESTOS
ByV V Rane Secretary
Mumbai Port Trust Dock & General Employees’ Union General Secretary
Alang Sosiya Ship Recycling & General Workers Association
SHIPBREAKING
• Shipbreaking is the complex process of dismantling an obsolete vessel’s structure for scrapping or an obsolete vessel s structure for scrapping or disposal and involves many environmental, safety, and health issues.
and health issues.
• Conducted at a beach, pier, dry dock or dismantling
slip, it includes a wide range of activities, from
removing all the gear and equipment, to the cutting
down and recycling the ship’s infrastructure.
ASBESTOS
Asbestos i t f i t ll i ili t
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate
minerals exploited commercially for their desirable
physical properties The inhalation of asbestos fibers
physical properties. The inhalation of asbestos fibers
can cause serious illnesses, including malignant lung
cancer, mesothelima, and asbestosis.
ASBESTOS ON SHIPS ASBESTOS ON SHIPS
Asbestos has been commonly used for shipbuilding as it is widely known to contain desirable properties such as heat and fire resistance. These properties, coupled with heat and fire resistance. These properties, coupled with the material’s relative low cost meant that the product was used extensively in the construction of ships. This has to be eradicated or encapsulated to ensure the safety of those both on board and at shipping yards.
SHIPBREAKING WORKERS FACING ASBESTOS PROBLEMS
• As the ships contains large amount of asbestos the workers engaged in shipbreakingg g p g activities are direct victims of the use of the asbestos.
• The shipbreaking workers suffer illness on account of asbestos like malignant lung cancer, mesothelima, and asbestosis.
Thi i f th f di ti hi b ki k
• This is one of the reason for diverting shipbreaking work from developed countries to developing and under developed countries where the workers prefer to work under any conditions for survival and where the enforcement authorities and the Government is not so serious about the workers rights as well as the human
ROLE OF TRADE UNIONS IN INDIA
• The use of asbestos in ships has been posing threat to the health, safety and welfare of the shipbreaking workers.
• The issue regarding health, safety, welfare and environment in the shipbreaking yards has been taken up in India by ASSRGWA and MPTDGEU, which have been organizing the
hi b ki k d d t ki i ti iti f
shipbreaking workers and undertaking various activities for the protection of workers rights.
These trade nions in India ha e been creating a areness
• These trade unions in India have been creating awareness among the stakeholders of the industry, organizing training camps, workshops and seminars and also representing before various authorities for protection of health safety welfare &
various authorities for protection of health, safety, welfare &
environment.
ROLE OF TRADE UNIONS IN ROLE OF TRADE UNIONS IN
INDIA
• These unions also have been organizing the medical camps for medical examinations of shipbreaking camps for medical examinations of shipbreaking workers and members of their families and to help the victims of asbestos and other occupational
di f f ibl
diseases for necessary treatment as far as possible.
• These unions represented before the Supreme Court
• These unions represented before the Supreme Court
Monitoring Committee and suggested various ways
and means to prevent occupational diseases including
the perils of asbestos.
DIRECTIONS FROM SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIRECTIONS FROM SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
Th S C t f I di id i ll t i th
• The Supreme Court of India considering all aspects in the shipbreaking activities has given very meaningful directions to the Government of India and other stakeholders of the hi b ki i d t i it d i i d t d 6th S t b 2007 shipbreaking industry in its decision dated 6th September 2007 in Research Foundation for Science Vs Union of India and Anr (Writ Petition (C) 657 of 1995).
• The implementation of these directions may reduce the evil effects of asbestos.
• Supreme Court of India has given directions in the matter of process for anchoring, beaching and breaking the ships.
process for anchoring, beaching and breaking the ships.
DIRECTIONS FROM SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIRECTIONS FROM SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
Supreme Court of India has given specific directions Supreme Court of India has given specific directions in the following matters :
1. Recycling facility management plan including asbestos handling, removing and storage facility
h l f l l
2. Ship Recycling facility plan 3. Safety compliances
4. Permission for cutting the materials 5 Training for the labour
5. Training for the labour
6. Use of personnel protective equipments 7. Environmental compliances
8. Creation/enhancement of facilities for removal, storage and
di l f h d i l d h d
disposal of hazardous materials and hazardous waste 9. Environmental measures and house keeping
10. Solid waste management 11 Housekeeping
11. Housekeeping
12. Health Compliance
13. Action by the Maritime Boards and Port Authorities
CO A C O S CO
COMPLIANCE OF SUPREME COURT DIRECTIONS
Th S C f I di h di d l l i
• The Supreme Court of India has directed to regularly monitor the asbestos fiber concentrations.
• In pursuance of the Supreme Court directions, the Ministry of p p , y Steel of the Government of India has been preparing “Code on Regulations for Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship
Recycling” in coordination with stakeholders of the industry.
• In view of the directions of the Supreme Court the unions have been also pressing before the port authorities for compliance of the directions.
• The unions have given the comprehensive checklist to the port authorities.
• The unions have been requesting the Government of India for giving representations to the unions in various bodies including giving representations to the unions in various bodies including Maritime Boards so that the issues connected with the health, safety and welfare of the shipbreaking workers would be properly resolved in the interest of welfare of the society.
p p y y
• The Gujarat Maritime Board has been conducting training courses on handling and storing of hazardous materials in the shipbreaking yards This would reduce the accidents and occupational diseases yards. This would reduce the accidents and occupational diseases.
• The management of Mumbai Port Trust laid down the strict conditions on the employers and contractors who undertake
hi b ki ti iti i t f f t f th k
shipbreaking activities in respect of safety of the workers.
• This “Code on Regulations for Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling” also has taken a serious note of the dangerousp y g g asbestos and the regulations are being made to prevent the use of asbestos and to prevent from the evil effects of asbestos.
Darukhana ,Shipbreaking Yard, Mumbai
SHIPBREAKING WORKERS
• These unions which are very much concerned with the health, safety and welfare
f h k h b i i di l d
of the workers have been organizing awareness programs, medical camps and training on first aid.
• The shipbreaking workers who have been participating the awareness programs are made aware of the existence of asbestos in the ships, adverse effects of the asbestos, precautions to be taken while handling asbestos material, etc.
• The unions have been pressing the need for upgradation of the shipbreaking
d i d t i i i th id t d ti l di
yards in order to minimize the accidents and occupational diseases.
• The unions and shipbreaking workers have been raising their voice and inviting attention of the government authorities for protection of the workers rights.
• Most importantly, MPTDGEU has recently produced and released a Documentary/short film on service and working conditions of the shipbreaking workers in India, titled as “In to the Graveyard”. This documentary has become an eye opener to all. It has been widely circulated and acclaimed.
an eye opener to all. It has been widely circulated and acclaimed.
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
• There is utmost need to built up pressure on government authorities andThere is utmost need to built up pressure on government authorities and other stakeholders of the shipbreaking industry to take urgent steps to prevent unsafe unhygienic & polluted working conditions in the shipbreaking yards.
• There is also need to built up pressure on the enforcement authorities soThere is also need to built up pressure on the enforcement authorities so that the provisions of the existing laws on health, safety, welfare &
environment are strictly enforced.
• Supreme Court of India has played a very vital role by giving due attention to the problems and issuing very comprehebsivre directions
to the problems and issuing very comprehebsivre directions,
• We expect that there should be effective coordination among all the organizations striving for welfare of the society.
• There is an urgent need for comprehensive law on the subject that will be
• There is an urgent need for comprehensive law on the subject that will be binding to all the stakeholders and would provide stern action and punishment to the offenders to the norms on health, safety, welfare &
environment.
LET US WORK TOGATHER TO FIGHT AGAINST THIS MANACE OF ASBESTOS .
