The production environment in most jute mills of the country has been found to be in a poor state in terms of maintenance of temperature, humidity and lighting. This is adversely affecting overall production. This was revealed in a recent study, jointly conducted by the Centre for Policy Dialogue and the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), in collaboration with Katalist, a Switzerland-based marketing farm operating in Bangladesh. The study was conducted in 10 jute mills, four under the Bangladesh Jute Spinners’ Association (BTSA), four under the Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) and two under the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC).
According to the study, while moisture content in the jute yarn used in the mills should be kept at or above 75 per cent to maintain the quality of the yarn, five out of 10 factories maintain humidity at a lower level. Some of the mills have a water spraying system, but those are either not properly placed or do not maintain moisture content or are not properly used, the study observed.
“Maintaining the humidity level by installing water sprinkling machines or humidifiers, controlling the temperature by setting up exhaust fans in sufficient numbers, or providing adequate light by having a number of bulbs are not so expensive. However, these are not properly implemented,” the study said.
BJMA chairman Najmul Haque told The Independent that the private jute industry is going through difficult times. Without sufficient government support, the industry is unable to comply with many of the imperatives.
On the use of safe materials, he said most of the workers in the jute industry follow the traditional method in handling jute and machinery. So even if they are provided with new facilities, many of them don’t use them.
“If we are supported by the government and can develop our industry and production, definitely we can add some extra elements to the production process,” he said.
Citing an example, he said that recently the government provided Tk. 5,000 crore in the form of outstanding loan interest for mills under the BJMC. However, the BJMA didn’t get any share of it.
Mohammad Shams-Uz-Zoha, chairman of the Bangladesh Jute Spinners’ Association (BJSA), said it is necessary to maintain humidity and temperature in the facilities, but at the same time a large amount of financial investment is required for that. “Sometimes it can reach up to Tk. 1 crore for a large facility,” he said.
“At times, the environment inside a jute spinning mill can be unfriendly, dusty and very hot. But somebody has to understand that the environment in a jute mill is different compared to other industries like garments, leather etc,” said Shams-Uz-Zoha, adding that at the same time, air-conditioners cannot always be used to maintain temperature.
According to the study, none of the workers engaged by either the BJSA, BJMA or the BJMC use adequate protective apparatus, like mask or apron, and all the mills have a higher level of jute fibre dust.”Workers are unwilling to put on protective apparatus, though in some cases mill owners motivate them,” said the BJSA chairman.
Lighting inside the factory is insufficient, particularly in the softening and spreading sections. Lack of proper maintenance of temperature, humidity and widespread dust in the factory premise has a definite impact on machine productivity, quality of product and workers’ health and hygiene, the study observed.
Lack of favourable environment for female workers is a major weakness, for which not many women choose this profession. Female workers are deprived of facilities enjoyed by their male counterparts, the study continued.
In this backdrop, the study recommended that jute mills, in collaboration with private sector organisations such as NGOs, should establish facilities for workers, including dormitories, schools, clinics and entertainment facilities. A team of experts can be deployed for examining the production environment, while paying particular attention to the level of humidity, light, air, sound and dust.
It added that assessment of the level of understanding of managers, engineers and other professionals regarding the standard of these variants is also important.
The study also recommended training, as standard practices significantly contribute to the production environment.
-With The Independent input
