Into The Light

Documentation of forgotten Coke oven workers’ life, in deep woods of Northern Iran. 

In Northern part of Iran, coke oven workers are still practicing a traditional methods.  Workers carry and crack woods by hand, and basic tools. To produce coal in such way, workers are supposed to stay in front of high temperature man-made ovens for hours. During the warm season, sometimes temperature of the room rises up to 60 C in hot seasons. In some locations – regardless of age and gender – whole family works together. I have seen a family Coke oven which eight years old child worked alongside a seventy five years old man, shoulder to shoulder.

Over the period of 3 years I have traveled deep in a northern woods of Iran. I became a friend with many of these labors. It took so long to gain their trust, and feeling the reality of such living. In these journeys, while I was traveling between coke oven houses, I have seen damaged bodies, unexpected behavioral actions and suffering nation with no or very little income. These remote locations in woods and the nature of this job creates an unsafe environment for neither work, nor living. In this condition, combustion process amplifies the capability of any contamination. Amputation, cancer and respiratory diseases are very visible.

On the other hand, coke oven workers income can’t exceed over $8 a day. It is very hard to survive with such a revenue. Therefore it’s impossible to receive a proper health care as they have to pay for every single doctor’s visit and medicine they need. Not only, the ovens are dangerous for the workers’ health, but also they have harmful effects on the environment in this region. Converting from traditional method to industrialized one could decrease job difficulties and reduce production gases with high ozone depleting potential (ODP). In developed countries, government is trying to facilitate people who are doing tough jobs with some special offers and values.

However, it has not been considered in Iran greatly and needs more considerations by authorities. The wood, used for making charcoal, is the wood from demolished buildings, but in some cases illegal timber harvests are conducted. Ovens are located in the deep forests and the countryside in the north of Iran due to existence of natural resources and forests. I started this project to expose the harsh nature of such job alongside the extreme low revenue of these hard workers.  I have tried to touch based on two major subjects in this project and tried to push the boundaries while raising awareness on environmental pollution which is a bad fruit of this action. Moreover, poor health condition of Coke oven workers not only creates constant physical problems, but also leaves mental scar for this nation.