The explosion in Bandar Abbas, like other industrial incidents that have occurred in Iran, has once again raised the question in the public mind of how much industrial workshops and work environments in Iran are approved in terms of HSE standards. Are the health and safety of workers and all those who enter these environments guaranteed according to accepted global standards, or not? To answer this question, the situation of industries and workplace environments in Iran must be considered from various perspectives. In other words, the important issue of HSE in industrial environments cannot be reported solely from the perspective of a technical expert and say that, for example, the extensive explosion at the Rajai dock in Bandar Abbas was solely due to the negligence of a contractor. Or in another example, it cannot be said that in a mining accident that resulted in the death of several workers, it was solely due to the lack of attention to a specific safety principle. Although the nature of the explosion in Bandar Abbas is likely different from other incidents in

In any case, workplace incidents, whether on a large and significant scale such as the massive explosion in Bandar Abbas, or smaller incidents, regardless of their nature and main cause, all have one common point: a lack of strict adherence to HSE principles. Even if there have been deliberate internal or external interventions in such incidents, with the observance of safety principles, the loss of life and financial damages could have been less than what has occurred so far. However, we must ask what factors have contributed and prevented the observance of HSE principles, which are very important in both small and large industries. To understand this issue, it is necessary to take a look at the ownership of small and large industries in Iran. Of course, opening this discussion does not mean rejecting or approving the type of ownership of industries, but rather only addressing the impact of ownership on maintaining HSE standards. It is clear that the majority of heavy and important industries in Iran are owned by the government and the Islamic

In the past decades, numerous reports of widespread financial corruption in Iran’s industries have been published, but these reports only focused on the protests of desperate workers who were facing dangerous and difficult working conditions. Remember when reports were published about the situation of workers and employees in various industrial centers in Ahvaz, and still are. Financial corruption has been officially reported for various reasons, including conflicting interests of powerful groups, but the issue of compliance with HSE standards has not been a priority because it does not directly benefit the owners and managers of industries. This is why now that we are talking about HSE in Iran’s industries, we do not know the extent to which HSE principles are being followed, for example in Iran’s petrochemicals, shipping, or rail industries. We only become aware of their compliance after major incidents that result in extensive loss of life and financial damage. The recurrence of these incidents is a strong indication that these principles are not being adequately followed. However, access to public

However, the situation in smaller workshops and even those privately owned is not defensible, it is enough to visit industrial towns. For example, we can mention the industrial town of Eshatard near Karaj as a large and important industrial town. Most of the time, the air quality in this town is accompanied by an unpleasant smell and, according to unofficial reports, it is polluted. There have been numerous concerning reports about the method of disposing of industrial waste in various cities, including northern cities, but has this trend been stopped? Has anyone been able to stop the continuation of illegal activities in a workshop?

Now imagine in a workshop, a group of workers become aware of the unsafe conditions of their work environment. These workers, who have difficulty finding work and receive only the minimum wage which is not enough to meet their basic needs in today’s Iran, do they have the opportunity to protest against what puts their lives at risk? Or can this be seen from the perspective of the employer, where labor is cheap and compliance with laws depends on the relationship between the employer and the law enforcer, how much can we be sure of fully adhering to HSE principles and workplace safety?

Remember that in the incident of the Metropl Abadan building, which resulted in the death of several citizens, independent monitoring bodies had repeatedly reported on the lack of safety in the building. However, the relationships between the owners of capital and power are so strong that in most cases, independent monitors are unable to stop their activities due to the disregard for safety principles. In any case, safety only becomes a public concern when people are killed. Of course, in many cases, people see these safety issues publicly, but due to their widespread and frequent occurrence, they have no choice but to ignore them. However, when accidents occur, it becomes a hot topic and with time, it fades away until the next incident captures the attention again.

However, one should not overlook the unique military and security conditions in Iran that directly and covertly affect industrial activities. More precisely, it can be said that Iran is among the countries that have extensive activities in the production and trade of military equipment. Due to the secretive and covert nature of these activities and their overlap with various industries, it is not clear exactly where and how they take place. Simply for the sake of maintaining secrecy, public security is at risk. Although it has been reported in many cases that these activities have used the cover of normal activities solely for the purpose of maintaining secrecy. For example, the transportation of military equipment on passenger planes, which has also been reported in the rail transportation sector. This issue can cast a shadow over all HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) principles and call into question all compliance efforts, as it is highly susceptible to major accidents.

By looking at the conditions in Iran, we can see that neglecting Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) principles is not just a technical issue in the workplace, but it stems from a combination of factors that ultimately lead to greater profits for stakeholders outside of the workplace. Of course, this does not mean that HSE principles are not followed in any part of Iran or in any workplace, but the focus here is on the quality of adherence to these principles, as even the smallest violations can result in irreparable accidents. For example, in the span of a fifty-year lifespan of a workshop, safety principles may always be followed, but one instance of a fire and failure to pay attention to a warning can render all of those precautions meaningless and result in the destruction of financial assets and the death of individuals present during the incident.

Ultimately, it can be said that the foundation and basis of industrial activities in Iran are dependent on economic and political conditions, especially the decisions of the government. The safety of work environments is also influenced by a complex set of relationships that not only guarantee the well-being and comfort of the public, but also serve the interests of small groups in power.