Workers' safety

MASUM ISLAM, 22, a worker of a mustard oil mill at Akcha village under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila died when he got trapped in the belt of a machine inside the mill on Saturday night. The incident was reported in some daily newspapers.

The death of a worker inside a mill raises questions as to whether the mill authority maintains proper safety devices inside the factory and whether safety rules are being complied with. Most of such factories are found reluctant to take proper safety measures for the workers causing premature deaths for a large number of people every year.

According to an ILO estimate, over 11,000 workers suffer fatal accidents and a further 24,500 die from work-related diseases across all sectors each year in Bangladesh.

It is also estimated that a further 8 million workers suffer injuries at work - many of which lead to permanent disability.

Most occupational deaths and injuries are entirely preventable, and could be avoided if employers and workers took simple initiatives to reduce hazards and risks at the workplace.

Though the workers' safety issue has been more or less addressed in the RMG sector due to the pressure of international buyers, it remains a major problem in small factories, particularly those outside the capital.

In a region like Thakurgaon, proper factory inspection to ensure workers' safety is, no doubt, a rare phenomenon.

We feel that the government should take immediate measures to ensure workers' safety in all the factories of the country.

Rana Ahmed

Malibagh Chowdhurypara, Dhaka