Nine workers killed at Bangladesh shipyard: who failed to protect them?

Reports conflict on which gases the workers were exposed to. The cause and sequence of events are still unclear. One thing is clear, though: this accident did not happen in a regulatory vacuum.

DIFE had reportedly found safety deficiencies at the yard and issued several notices. Which raises the question: what is the value of safety regulations if known violations go unresolved until workers pay with their lives?

Certification is no substitute for safety

Ferdous Steel is not an uncertified backyard operation. It presents itself as an HKC-compliant green ship recycling yard, holding numerous certifications.

Bangladesh requires authorized yards to meet national and international safety and environmental standards. The Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board certifies, licenses and monitors compliance.

A proper investigation, then, must establish whether the required procedures were followed, whether ventilation was adequate, whether workers were warned about the hazards and whether appropriate arrangements were in place. The role of the yard’s safety officers must also be examined as part of this investigation.

Workers must have a voice in safety

This tragedy underscores the need for stronger worker participation in occupational health and safety. Two days later, on 16 August, a worker at Baraka Shipbreaking yard was critically injured and remains on life support.

Trade union representatives must sit on safety committees at shipbreaking yards. Workers and their representatives should access safety information, take part in risk assessments and raise concerns without fear of retaliation.

The Hong Kong Convention entered into force in 2025 to make ship recycling safer and more environmentally sound. But a green certificate cannot become a shield against scrutiny. Safety should not be reduced to certificates on a wall.

IndustriALL director for shipbuilding and shipbreaking, Walton Pantland, says:

“This industrial homicide happened at a yard that was granted a DASR certificate by the Bangladeshi government. There have been a number of other accidents and fatalities over the past year in yards that are supposed to be HKC compliant; where is the enforcement?

“The government and industry cannot be relied on to investigate this. We need an independent investigation that follows the entire chain, identifies every failure and establishes who was responsible. And unions need to be actively involved in safety management through joint OSH committees.”

A joint statement from A M Nazim Uddin of Bangladesh Metalworkers’ Federation and Shahidullah Badal from Bangladesh Metal, Chemical Garment & Tailors Workers Federation reads:

“We will do everything we can to stand with the workers and the families of those who lost their lives and to ensure that the truth about what happened comes out. But we must also make sure this does not happen again. Government related departments should have responsibility specially to strengthen the inspection and regular monitoring by the DIFE. We demand compensation for the dead workers in the line with ILO Convention 121 & better treatment for those who are seriously injured, as well as better implementation of Hong Kong Convention. We also demand punishment of those found guilty to set an example.”