Maritime Lawsuit Attorneys

Maritime Law - Ship Breaking

Ship breaking is a sort of recycling that involves breaking up older ships for scrap metal. The majority of ships have a lifespan of a few decades before it becomes too expensive and not worth refitting and repairing the ship. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, particularly steel, to be used in a brand new ship and given a second life. Colloquially, the ship said to have been made into razor blades.

The majority of ship breaking activities took place in the port cities of developed countries like the United States and the United Kingdom until the late twentieth century. Now, however, the majority of these activities take place in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. The reason behind this shift is that the labor is cheaper in these countries and the environmental protection laws concerning the dumping of hazardous materials like lead paint are less stringent.

While recycling ships sounds great, it is really a quite dangerous industry. Ships, in addition to their valuable steel, are full of dangerous materials and chemicals like asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls. In addition, lead paint is common. Asbestos, in particular, was heavily used in ship construction until it was banned in the 1980s.

The less-developed countries of the world are popular places to dump hazardous materials and break ships because they don’t have the risk of workers’ health claims or personal injury lawsuits. The protective equipment required here in the United States is frequently absent. It is also possible to inhale dangerous vapors and fumes from burning materials. In addition, asbestos-laden dust piles and areas are commonplace.

If you have been exposed to asbestos or some other hazard through employment breaking ships, contact the maritime lawsuit attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.