Inspectors find gross flaws in fire, safety standards

FE Report | Published: February 21, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Global clothing inspectors have found gross flaws in fire, electrical safety and potential structural problems in their initial sample inspection, Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
Pilot inspections at 10 textile plants in Bangladesh showed a common set of problems, an inspector, who is involved in the work, told the Post Wednesday.
The global inspectors including engineers have begun a systematic look this week at some 1,800 readymade garment (RMG) factories used by 150 international retailers and clothing brands which have signed the agreement.
"It is a small sample, but it gives us a pretty good indication of what we are going to find. There are some common elements," Brad Loewen, chief inspector of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh told the Washington Post.
"Fire exits are typically not separated from the rest of the buildings, leaving those inside exposed to heat, flames and smoke as they try to escape, rather than providing a safe passage out," he said preferring anonymity.
Most of the garment factories' electrical systems have been expanded over time in a helter-skelter way, increasing the risk of fire.
The buildings themselves often don't match the plans on file with the government, making it uncertain whether foundations are adequate to support the size of the structures built, he said.
The Accord, a consortium brought together by European retailers which are committed to fund the effort and include outside oversight, is separate from the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, an effort by big US retailers like Wal-Mart and Target to achieve the same ends.
The Accord has more binding requirements but the Alliance has set up its own inspection programme.
Several hundred factories fall under both. And both the groups also have published databases listing the specific factories they cover, broadening disclosure about the network of plants that comprise the textile supply chain.
Since the collapse of the eight-story Rana Plaza near Dhaka last April, which left more than 1,000 people dead, attention has been focused on the local political power of the textile industry in the country and on the inability of Bangladesh's small corps of inspectors to oversee several thousand such plants.
The issue has sparked international pressure on both the retailers which source their garments in Bangladesh and on the government.
The US cancelled some tariff concessions granted to Bangladesh to try to force a change. A variety of public campaigns have targeted the retailers.
Suspicions about the structural integrity of the buildings - which often have multiple stories -- are such that engineers may have to take core samples from the foundations to see if they are sound, a time-consuming process.
Between now and September, Loewen said, his teams of engineers will inspect 60 to 75 plants a week and develop remediation plans to fix any problems found.
"It's a huge undertaking," he said, with around 80 engineers from four outside firms combining into teams with expertise in structural, fire and electrical issues.