10k Workers Trained: GMS Sparks Safety Revolution in South Asia’s Ship Recycling Industry
By Nayeem Noor | 03 April 2025 | Dubai, UAE
In a groundbreaking move for one of the world’s most hazardous industries, GMS—the globe’s largest buyer of ships and offshore assets for recycling—has hit a remarkable milestone: training more than 10,000 shipyard workers across India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan in essential safety practices.
This feat, achieved through the company’s Sustainable Ship and Offshore Recycling Program (SSORP), represents a turning point in the often-criticized world of ship recycling. With the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Hong Kong Convention (HKC) set to come into force in June 2025, GMS’s initiative couldn’t be timelier.
What started in 2016 as a modest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) effort has evolved into the largest grassroots safety training initiative in the ship recycling sector. SSORP has now conducted 663 sessions across the three countries, delivering hands-on training in over 66 safety topics—ranging from fire safety and first aid to hazardous waste handling and confined space entry.
Importantly, these sessions are not generic PowerPoint presentations. They are highly localized, interactive, and accessible, delivered in local languages using mock drills, visual aids, and real-life demonstrations to ensure even workers with limited formal education can understand and apply what they learn.
“Eight years ago, we saw a gap—and stepped in,” said Dr. Anil Sharma, Founder and CEO of GMS. “We believed then, as we do now, that even one injury or fatality is too many. With the Hong Kong Convention now becoming a global standard, we’re proud that our efforts have prepared thousands of workers with the safety awareness they need to succeed in the next chapter of this industry.”
Ship recycling—while essential to the maritime life cycle—is notoriously dangerous. Workers are often exposed to toxic substances, risk falls from height, and enter confined spaces with limited ventilation. In regions where economic pressures can overshadow safety concerns, GMS’s SSORP program is saving lives.
“Our sessions go beyond lectures—they’re practical, visual, and relatable,” said Dr. Anand Hiremath, Chief Sustainability Officer at GMS and Head of SSORP. “Workers leave not just informed but empowered to take action, prevent accidents, and look out for one another. That’s where real change happens—on the ground, one worker at a time.”
The timing of this achievement is significant. The Hong Kong Convention, adopted by the IMO in 2009, lays out a comprehensive framework for safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships. With its long-awaited enforcement date now set for June 2025, ship recycling yards around the world are racing to comply with its requirements.
“SSORP is not just about meeting a regulation,” said Dr. Hiremath. “It’s about building a culture of safety and dignity, and preparing the workforce to thrive in a more regulated, sustainable future.”
While celebrating the 10,000-worker milestone, GMS is already looking to the future. The company plans to integrate Virtual Reality (VR) safety simulations into its training modules, allowing workers to experience high-risk scenarios in a controlled, immersive environment.
Additionally, GMS is rolling out a “Train-the-Trainer” program, designed to equip local professionals with the tools to sustain and scale the safety culture long after SSORP sessions end. This scalable model is expected to exponentially increase the program’s reach and embed safety deeper into the fabric of the industry.
Perhaps most impressively, GMS has kept the entire program completely free for all participants. By removing financial barriers, the company ensures that every worker—regardless of position or experience—can access life-saving knowledge.
And the impact isn’t stopping at ship recycling. With momentum building, GMS is preparing to expand SSORP into other sectors of the maritime and industrial value chain, reinforcing its commitment to safety, sustainability, and social responsibility across the broader ecosystem.
As ship recycling continues to draw scrutiny for its environmental and human rights challenges, initiatives like SSORP are reframing what’s possible. By placing workers at the heart of the safety conversation—and equipping them with the tools to protect themselves and others—GMS is not just reacting to global regulation. It is leading a transformation.
This is more than a training milestone. It’s a powerful message to the global maritime community: that with vision, dedication, and heart, even the world’s toughest industries can be made safer, smarter, and more humane.
And for the 10,085 workers who’ve now walked out of those sessions better equipped to face their day on the job, it’s nothing short of life-changing.
