Safer Shifts at Scale: Training Habits That Travel Across Ship Recycling Yards

In this episode, Jamie Dalzell, Head of GMS Singapore, speaks with Dr. Anand Hiremath, GMS Chief Sustainability Officer and lead of SSORP, the Sustainable Ship and Offshore Recycling Program.

In ship recycling, many incidents happen when routine takes over and basic checks are skipped to keep work moving. This conversation focuses on the small actions that prevent harm on the ground: the pause before lighting the torch, a gas check repeated when conditions change, a supervisor choosing not to overlap high risk jobs, and a near miss report that results in a real fix.

What SSORP has delivered this year (so far)

• 781 safety awareness training sessions
• 12,036 yard workers reached
• 70 distinct topics delivered across India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan
• Training provided free for workers

Topics discussed in this episode

• Permit to Work (PTW): planning, authorization, checks, and clear responsibility before high risk work starts
• Hot work and gas cutting discipline: leak checks, flashback risks, ventilation, fire watch, safe cylinder handling, and stop work authority
• Confined space awareness: atmospheric hazards, entry controls, communication, and changing conditions
• Lifting and material handling: rigging basics, exclusion zones, signals, and early warning signs before a load shifts
• Heat stress and fatigue: hydration routines, shaded rest, symptom recognition, and simple prevention steps
• Near miss reporting: reporting early, pausing the task, inspecting gear, fixing issues, and sharing learning in toolbox talks
• Environmental awareness and waste handling: segregation, storage discipline, spill prevention, and daily yard practices
• Mock drills and emergency readiness: alarms, isolation, muster points, first actions, and clear response roles

Key takeaways for different roles

• For workers: professionalism is in the pause. Ask for checks, report near misses, stop when conditions change
• For supervisors and mukadams: make work predictable. Plan, brief, coordinate overlaps, and make permits meaningful
• For owners and management: back the system. Maintain equipment, support reporting without blame, and reinforce discipline consistently

This episode is a practical look at training that supports safer work shift by shift across ship recycling yards.