Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Independent Chair Ellen Tauscher on Sunday expressed satisfaction over the progress Bangladesh has made so far in implementing its commitments to ensure safe workplace for workers.
"We have seen great progress that has taken place following the collaboration of important stakeholders, like - factory owners, building safety experts, the government, ILO and all the brands," she said.
She was speaking at a press briefing on the sidelines of the three-day 'International Trade Expo for Building and Fire Safety' that kicked off at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city on Sunday.
Ellen Tauscher noted that unfortunately fire incidents are inevitable in ready-made garment (RMG) industry, and the workers have to educate themselves how to survive.
"Every effort has to be made by the factory owners to create safe workplace."
She said Alliance consists of 28 globally significant brands, and now they have come to ensure that the places where they source from are safe, where the workers can speak for themselves.
Referring to a survey, she mentioned that half of the workers said they had to hide under their sewing machine during fire incidents.
"People need a chance to get out. What you do to get people a fighting chance to get out of the factory, and what you do to make a workplace to return to when your business is being survived. This is a complicated issue."
She suggested that Bangladesh needs to invest in energy, roads, ports and education to grow exponentially and achieve the target of doubling its RMG export by the next five or six years.
"You need investment in energy, roads, ports and education to make sure you not only have ability to move people back and forth more safely, but you have predictable and sustainable energy that is low cost, latest technology to improve productivity, and better educated workforce," she added.
Vice President of Field Operations at National Fire Protection Association Don Bliss said after any accident, people forget it and go back to their usual business, which has not been a case for Bangladesh.
"After several tragedies there is an amazing commitment to correct the conditions of the factories."
He noted that the stakeholders of this commitment can be a model for other countries in preventing future atrocities.
Vice President of Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Rabin Mesbah said 74 per cent of the fire incidents in the RMG sector occur from electrical short circuit, inferior quality appliances and so on.
That's why Accord and Alliance have focused on electrical inspection to find the hotspots, and to educate the factory owners, so that no fire incident happens from a negligible source and the degree of fire incidents can be reduced, he added.
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