Workplace safety improved a lot

International inspection agencies said safety conditions in the country's $30 billion garment industry have improved dramatically since the Rana Plaza disaster, thanks to efforts by entrepreneurs, retailers and brands.

“Accord currently has approximately 1,625 covered supplier factories. Some 88,443 safety hazards, in total, were identified in Accord's initial inspections of these factories. Some 74,386 of these safety hazards have been fixed.

“We have seen remarkable progress in workplace safety over the past five years. The 1.2 million women and men who earn a living in Alliance factories now work in buildings that are structurally sound, free of fire hazards and equipped with modern electrical systems, sprinklers and fire doors,” he told this correspondent.

“Through our efforts, the Alliance has helped transform an industry once repeatedly touched by tragedy into one cited as a model for other countries.

“Ninety percent of factory remediation is complete across active Alliance factories, and we fully expect to complete our remaining remediation work this year,” he said.

Talking to The Daily Star recently, Gagan Rajbhandari, officer-in-charge of International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Bangladesh, said, “Five years from Rana Plaza [tragedy], workplace safety in the garment industry has certainly improved.

Siddiqur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said 3,978 factories have been inspected for building, fire and electrical safety under the combined efforts of the three safety initiatives.

Nazma Akter, president of Sammilito Garment Sramik Federation, however, said, “Safety has increased on the following things; building, electrical and fire. But still many factories have ongoing safety process which is not completed. Overall, the safety process is not satisfactory.