The platform of European retailers, Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, on Tuesday said that it had found faults in all 10 garment units it inspected in a pilot basis late last year. Officials of the Accord said that they found mismatch between structural designs and constructed structures, uncontrolled heavy storage load on floor, locked fire escapes and unsupported and unprotected wires in the factories.
The platform, which also accommodates brands and labour unions, at a news conference at a city hotel on the day released its initial inspection report on the 10 garment factories.
Executive director of Bangladesh Operations of the Accord Rob Wayss said the technical teams of the platform had found structural, electrical and fire-related problems in the 10 factories and provided the owners with remediation plan.
The 10 factories were inspected on pilot basis whereas the Accord in February started full-scale 7-month inspection of about 1,500 garment factories from where the European retailers procure products.
None of the 10 factories, however, asked to close down as there was no immediate risk to the factories but in the latest inspection the Accord asked owners of two other risky factories to evacuate their factories at Pallabi leaving around 5,000 workers jobless.
Accord said it would not take any responsibility in providing wages to workers in case any of the factories was closed down for faults.
‘For the remediation of any faulty factory, the expectation is that the factory owner will pay for his or her factory. In case of failure [by the owner] the brand will work to find resources,’ Wayss said.
Replying to a question, he quoted the Accord’s Article 13 that said ‘if the production of a factory is suspended
or temporarily closed for remediation the factory owner is required to pay the workers.’
Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed and leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association recently lashed out at retailers for closing down factories without taking any responsibility in providing remediation fund.
Tofail and BGMEA leaders also accused the retailers of conspiracy to destroy the garment factories in the name of inspection.
Replying to a question about the accusations, Wayss said, ‘All have welcomed us. We have carried out the factory inspection with the support of the labour ministry and factory owners as we have a very good and productive relationship with the government and the BGMEA.’
Chief safety inspector of the Accord Brad Loewen, while making a presentation on the 10 factories, said further structural analysis, as-built drawings and structural loading plans were required in the factories.
The garments, some of are known to be compliant, are Alif Garments Limited, Anlima Textile Limited, Big Boss Corporation, Dragon Sweater, The Fashion Island Limited, Grameen Knitwear Ltd, Majumder Fashions Ltd, Redpoint Jackets Ltd, Rio Fashion Wear Ltd and Viyellatex Ltd.
The Accord found lockable gates in most of the units and suggested their removal and installation of fire doors on exits in the factories.
The retailers group also asked the factories to install automatic sprinkler system, upgrade automatic fire alarm and sufficient exit capacity.
In the electrical report, the Accord said cables and wires were not supported and cable identification was not provided, while routes were not defined.
For fire remediation, the Accord suggested that cables or wires should be installed with supports and protection and wires should be properly routed.
For ensuring fire safety the Accord suggested installation of one-and-a-half-hour fire rated doors and sealing of all unprotected openings to separate the exit stairs on all floor levels as the inspectors found that the exit stairs were not separated from the work areas on each floor by fire-rated construction.
The initiative of the retailers directed factory owners to remove all storage loading from the building at all levels and to review design, loads, columns stresses for all floors and confirm suitability for applied loads.
Loewen said the monitoring on corrective action plans would be continued and the experts of the Accord would inspect 250 factories per month aiming at completing the assessment in the 1,500 factories by the end of August this year.
He said 25 per cent factories out of the 1,500 might require auto sprinkler.
After the Rana Plaza building collapse on April 24 last year that killed more than 1,100 people, mostly garment workers, the EU brands, retailers, and labour unions formed the Accord.
The consortium announced its action plan including factory inspections, training and worker empowerment and said that they would inspect over 1,600 factories that manufacture products for them.
Another platform, Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, the initiative of North American retailers, is going to start its inspection in full-scale from today and it has already appointed seven engineering farms to carry out the inspection.
Earlier, the Alliance inspected 222 factories out of 700 factories.
-With New Age input
