A workshop on setting common standards to assess safety condition in Bangladesh’s clothing factories will be held in Dhaka tomorrow.
International Labour Organisation and Asian Decent Work Decade will jointly organise the workshop aimed at sharing knowledge and experience in factory safety and explore common standards for that purpose.
Representatives from government, BGMEA, BKMEA, EU Accord and US Alliance will participate in the event titled “Technical workshop on common standards for assessment of building, fire and electrical safety of ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh.”
“The EU Accord and the US Alliance confirmed us that they are too going to take part in the workshop,” said Reaz Bin Mahmood, Vice President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
“We will discuss about how to avoid double inspection of a factory. The lack of coordination can lead to double, thrice or more inspection of a single unit,” he said.
Reaz Mahmood stresses the need to have unified safety standards for ensuring workers’ safety in factories.
Commenting on inspection of garment factories, Reaz said BGMEA will suggest team to inspect vulnerable factories and those converted from residential buildings.
A BGMEA director said the workshop help us have a common safety standards in line with the Accord, the US Alliance and the National Action Plan.
Meanwhile, a panel of 30 experts, led by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), is scheduled to start inspection of about 2000 garment factories from 15th this month to check on structural flaws in a bid to ensure workers’ safety.
Garments workers safety came on spot light after the incident of Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building having housed five factories, collapsed in Savar on April 24, leaving at least 1,127 workers killed and over 2,500 injured.
