Report References to occupational exposures Challenges faced by workers With a few exceptions, the vast majority of the workforce in Mumbai do not receive any information on the hazards or risks to health and safety, nor do they receive any training on how to avoid or minimize them. With regard to safety training, the former Special Rapporteur was of the view that existing training opportunities in Alang/Sosiya should be improved, considering the magnitude of the risks associated with shipbreaking activities and the hazardous substances workers are potentially exposed to. In Mumbai, workers do not receive any formal training from their employers, which makes them more prone to serious accidents and injuries. As far as PPEs are concerned, the former Special Rapporteur regrets that not all the workers in Mumbai receive helmets, gloves and goggles, and that only a fraction of them actually use them during work. Due to the informal nature of working arrangements, workers are not covered by social protection schemes, and do not receive any benefit in case of work-related injuries or diseases. The compulsory insurance that the industry is required to have covers only death and permanent disabilities. In cases of minor accidents, employers usually pay for first aid and immediate medical expenses, but not for long-term medical treatment or for expenses linked to chronic work-related illnesses. Workers do not usually receive any wages or benefits when absent from work on medical grounds. Health facilities in Alang/Sosiya do not possess sufficient human, technical and financial resources to provide any treatment other than first aid for minor injuries. The nearest hospital equipped to deal with life-threatening conditions is in Bhavnagar, more than 50 kilometres away. The Red Cross hospital in Alang, which the former Special Rapporteur visited, can count on only four medical doctors and nine beds to provide health care not only to some 30,000 workers in the yards, but also to the neighbouring villages of Alang (which has a population of about 18,000 people) and Sosiya (4,000 people). In Mumbai the situation is even worse, with no permanent facilities except first aid and ambulance services. The former Special Rapporteur notes with concern that most workers, but reportedly also a number of yard owners, are not aware of the serious life-threatening work-related diseases which may result from long-term exposure to toxic and hazardous substances and materials present on end-of-life ships. In particular, it appears that the majority of the workforce and the local population do not know the adverse consequences of prolonged exposure to asbestos dusts and fibres and are not familiar with the precautions that need to be taken to handle asbestoscontaining materials. 31 At the time, it appeared that only 3 to 5 per cent of e-waste is recycled in authorized recycling facilities. The vast majority of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) was collected, dismantled and processed in the informal sector by some 80,000 workers, including women and • Inadequate standards of protection • Limited progress in prevention of exposure • Monitoring and A/HRC/39/48 The former Special Rapporteur also reported on the situation of workers handling electronic waste (e-waste). The term “e-waste” is generally used to describe obsolete, broken or discarded appliances using electricity, such as computers, mobile phones and household appliances. E-waste may contain a number of hazardous substances, which can be released in the workplace and in the surrounding environment during the separation and recovery process.