Bangladesh recyclers in safety warning to sellers following VLCC blast

Reference:seatrade-maritime | Updated: 06 Jan. 2022

In the latest of a string of accidents there was a 25 December explosion on board a VLCC, thought to be the 310,000 dwt Jubilant built in 1996, which was undergoing demolition at the Jamuna Shipbreaking Yard in Chattogram.

According to reports, 13 recycling yard workers are believed to have died at Bangladeshi yards in 2021, taking the ten-year total to more than 150. NGO Shipbreaking Platform said there were a record number of fatalities on the beaches of Chattogram in the third quarter of last year with at least seven workers losing their lives.

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Recent incidents have prompted the Bangladesh Shipbreakers & Recyclers Association to draft a written warning to all intermediary cash buyers who sell ships on to the country’s recycling facilities, to ensure that vessels are delivered clean, free of gas, and safe for hot work.

This is a standard requirement, but Bangladeshi representatives suspect that some unscrupulous cash buyers are failing to clean ships properly prior to delivery. The warning is likely to be delivered within the next few days.