UBC researcher to investigate one of the world’s most dangerous jobs

Learning more about the lung health risks of working on Bangladesh’s shipbreaking yards is the focus of University of British Columbia student Midori Courtice’s upcoming research trip to the South Asian country.

Shipbreaking is the process by which old ships are demolished, and usable components of the vessel are salvaged for other uses. Midori Courtice, an MSc student from the School of Environmental Health, will be gathering information about how workers’ exposure to asbestos may be damaging their lungs.

“Shipbreaking is an important industry in a number of developing countries, including Bangladesh,” says Courtice. “But due to an absence of legislation and training, workers on the shipbreaking yards are exposed to hazardous substances and may lack access to protective equipment. These factors contribute to shipbreaking’s reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous occupations.”

One of the most hazardous materials found in older vessels is asbestos, a mineral fibre that is known to cause cancer. An average 40,000 tonne ship contains 6000 to 8000 kilograms of asbestos. When workers remove asbestos from the ships, they inhale fibres that can, over time, cause serious lung diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

To assess the impact of asbestos exposure on the health of shipbreakers, Ms. Courtice will travel to the impoverished northwestern districts of Bangladesh, an area that supplies many migrant workers to the shipbreaking yards. Once there, she will gather information from those who have worked as shipbreakers in Chittagong, Bangladesh’s main seaport. She will take chest X-rays of workers, and will gather detailed information from them about their work and medical histories. Once back in Canada, the X-rays will be assessed by a physician with expertise in diagnosing lung abnormalities caused by asbestos exposure.

The UBC research team is working closely with Bangladeshi researchers and agencies to increase their capacity to carry out workplace health research and to inform policy. “We hope to raise awareness about the potential risks associated with asbestos, and ways that people can protect themselves from exposure,” says Ms. Courtice’s supervisor Hugh Davies, Assistant Professor in the School of Environmental Health. The researchers also hope their results will help inform legislators responsible for regulating the ship breaking industry.

The UBC researchers have set up a weblog with more information about the project and photos from past research trips to Bangladesh; it will be updated periodically during Ms. Courtice’s fieldwork season. The weblog can be accessed at http://www.cher.ubc.ca/bangladesh.