It's one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, but you might not even have known it was a thing.
We're talking about ship-breaking: the process of taking apart massive ships that are no longer in use.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), 'Shipbreaking has grown into a major occupational and environmental health problem in the world. It is amongst the most dangerous of occupations, with unacceptably high levels of fatalities, injuries and work-related diseases.'
A fascinating video from 2021 showed just how ship-breakers deal with massive cruise ships that are no longer on the high seas.
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According to the video from Business Insider India, the pandemic ravaged the cruise industry - meaning more ships were sent to be broken down, because it was more cost-efficient for companies to sell the ships for parts, rather than keeping them running. Apparently many of these ships could have run for five to 10 more years - showing how dire the straits the cruise industry is in.
The video puts the spotlight on Aliaga, a shipbreaking yard in Turkey. And how these massive vessels are dismantled is absolutely riveting - first, everything from inside has to be removed. We're talking all the furniture, light fittings, and more.
Then, all the amenities - like the gym and cinema - need to be stripped out, before massive parts of the ship can be sawn off.
There's an unfathomable amount to remove and recycle - things like furniture will be sold to cafes, hotels, and the metal goes to nearby iron and steel factories to be repurposed and used in the construction industry.
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All of this apparently takes around 25,000 workers to do - and while it might take six months to break down a cargo ship, a fully kitted out cruise vessel will take almost a year - sometimes more.
And yes, it's super dangerous for the ship-breakers. Risks include falling from great heights, inhaling toxic gases, or being hit by falling objects - and according to Business Insider India, Aliaga is a whole lot safer than many other ship-breaking yards around the world, due to the method it uses to remove large bits of the ship.
All that, but you can understand why people are still taking the job. In Turkey, a ship-breaker's annual salary is around $18,000, according to Business Insider, compared to the average of $11,400.
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In the comments section, many people are saying the same thing.
"Those are absolutely beautiful ships and I hate seeing them being ripped apart like this," one person wrote.
While another said: "So heartbreaking to see my favorite ships like this."
Featured Image Credit: Business Insider India/ YouTube