Health Checks Being Done on Toxic Ship Dismantlers
Workers at India’s Alang Shipyard, who have been charged with the task of dismantling the controversial asbestos-laden Norwegian Ship known as the Blue Lady, are currently undergoing medical testing, reports an article on DailyIndia.com.
According to the article, medical professionals from the National Institute for Occupational Health have been conducting general check-ups of all the workers at the shipbreaking yard. In addition, they are mandating training to teach workers about the proper handling of asbestos on-the-job and about the importance of wearing protective masks while working with the hazardous material.
“Earlier, there were no such things, but since the anchoring of Blue Lady there are some health scares. That’s why we are getting a medical check-up,” said Dharmendra Yadav, a worker at the yard.
Earlier this year, India’s Supreme Court had allowed the ship to enter Indian waters, but put a hold on its dismantling, pending a report by an expert panel on the quantity of toxic wastes on board. Norway, it was found, had grossly underestimated the amount of asbestos aboard the ship, which once served as a cruise liner.
The team of 15-members of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) and Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) gave clearance for the ship to enter the yard after the committee carried out a five-day inspection of the ship. Dismantling began recently.
Medical experts and members of the environmental watchdog group, Greenpeace, believe the shipbreaking puts workers at risk for asbestos-related diseases.
“This atmosphere is considered hazardous for the workers. So a government sponsored team has come here to do a medical check up of the workers,” said G.B. Makwana, a doctor with Alang medical hospital who stressed that hundreds of Indian shipyard workers have already died of asbestos-caused diseases.
