A Daily life of a Scrapper...in Bangladesh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOmtFN1bfZ8

If the link doesnt work search 'Where Ships Go to Die, Workers Risk Everything'

Just a little video you guys might like to watch.

I read the article in my wife's natgeo, the only article that I read from about 12 magazines that I was flipping threw.

Thank you James708 for sharing this. I cannot relate to the hazardous waste part, but the rest I can identify with. The danger of burners, falling metal, and even man power moving up to 10 tons were experiences. Even watched crews drop five ton pieces of steel 10 stories by hand.

There are three main differences between this video and a project recently completed. First we did not use slaves, they were paid very well and had fun on the job. Second, safety was a constant concern and at the forefront of every decision. We had a couple of bumps and bruises, but nothing to require any time off. Thirdly, we had access to the best equipment available.

The video you shared reminded me of an experience, not because I was the architect, but because I was a participant.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Patriot76

Thank you James708 for sharing this. I cannot relate to the hazardous waste part, but the rest I can identify with. The danger of burners, falling metal, and even man power moving up to 10 tons were experiences. Even watched crews drop five ton pieces of steel 10 stories by hand.

There are three main differences between this video and a project recently completed. First we did not use slaves, they were paid very well and had fun on the job. Second, safety was a constant concern and at the forefront of every decision. We had a couple of bumps and bruises, but nothing to require any time off. Thirdly, we had access to the best equipment available.

The video you shared reminded me of an experience, not because I was the architect, but because I was a participant.

---

Scraping is different in every part of world I'm just glad you did it the safe way!

Bangladesh faces lots of challenges. Basically half the population of the United States in an area about twice the size of my state of South Dakota. Many of their rural areas have a population density higher than a typical American single family residence neighborhood that would be considered urban. My first house had 912 sq. feet on the main floor and sat on a lot 60 feet by 110. In Bangladesh the house would be half that size, elevated so there could be chickens and small livestock underneath and the whole yard farmed. Multiply that by many millions.

Bangladesh's land is extremely fertile, given that its in the deltas of 2 major rivers but incredibly flat. You need to go nearly half way up the country from the coast to reach the 10 meter elevation mark. Its also at the top of a "funnel" of the Indian Ocean, with India to the west and Burma/Thailand to the east. Every once an while a "cyclone" (what is considered a hurricane here) sweeps up the funnel and causes havoc. When I was kid one killed at least 200,000 people but no one really knows how many. But people move right back in and start over. Don't think things are going to change to give these guys better working conditions. May we be appreciative of what we have...

Dakota,

Would these workers be considered to be a little farther up the local food chain than the guys who farm their 60 x 110 lots and sell a little produce? Or are they all kind of in the same level of poverty, with just the few larger business owners able to move beyond the bottom level?

Amazing. Life with the modern luxuries of oxyacetylene cutting torches and a big F'n winch. And gazillions of hands working.

Jon.