Empowering Change: GMS Trains Over 10,000 Ship Recycling Workers

GMS, the world’s largest buyer of ships and offshore assets for recycling, has reached a groundbreaking milestone by training over 10,000 ship recycling workers across India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. This achievement is part of the company’s Sustainable Ship and Offshore Recycling Program (SSORP), which aims to transform safety standards in the ship recycling industry.

 

The training sessions, conducted in local languages, cover over 66 critical safety topics, including safe-for-entry protocols, confined-space entry, fire safety, first aid, and hazardous waste handling. Practical demonstrations and mock drills ensure that workers not only understand safety measures but are empowered to implement them effectively. The initiative has evolved into the largest grassroots safety training movement in the ship recycling sector, directly impacting the lives of thousands of workers.

 

With the International Maritime Organization’s Hong Kong Convention set to become a global standard in June 2025, GMS’s efforts are paving the way for safer and more sustainable practices in the industry. Looking ahead, the company plans to integrate virtual reality-based safety simulations and expand its “train-the-trainer” framework to further enhance local capacity for ongoing safety education.

 

Sources: MarineLink, GMS Official Website, Economic Times.