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Safer End of Engineered Life programme, Engineering X
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Hazel Ingham Engineering X
Every day over 50,000 ships transport goods and resources around the globe. The question is, who deals with these huge structures at the end of their life?
"More than 70% of the world’s ships end up on the beaches of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan," says Hazel. “At any one time, there are hundreds of ships being broken up there – they’re often dragged directly onto the beaches and taken apart by workers with little, if any, training, protective equipment or legal protection to do this work safely. As a result, chemicals leach into the ocean, causing untold harm to people and the environment.”
Hazel leads one of the programmes within Engineering X, an international collaboration founded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the Royal Academy of Engineering that brings together some of the world’s leading engineers, academics and business leaders to address the great challenges of our age. “When products and structures reach their end of life, they can create real hazards to people and the environment,” adds Hazel. “With ships and other large offshore structures, the hazards are particularly acute in those parts of the world least able to manage them. While some do recycle responsibly, a dirty trade continues. Some rich nations export the problem of what to do with their old vessels and structures, and it’s people on the sub-continent who often have to clear up the mess and pay the price – in many cases with their health and sometimes with their lives.”
"The International Labour Organization has classified shipbreaking among the world’s most dangerous occupations. The Foundation's support means we’re able to fund six projects that are using on-the-ground activities, research and community building initiatives to greatly improve safety and reduce the harm to people and the environment."
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