Accidents, accountability and necessity

A building collapse at the Spectrum Garment Factory in Savar, Dhaka on April 11, 2005 killed 63 people, a fire at KTS Garment Factory in Chattogram on February 23, 2006 killed 61 people, and two days later a building collapsed at Tejgaon Phoenix Textile Mill in Dhaka and claimed 21 lives. On June 3, 2010, 124 died in a fire at Nimtali, 112 people were burnt in the fire at Tazreen Garment Factory in Savar, Ashulia on November 24, 2012, 1136 people lost their lives when the Rana Plaza in Savar collapsed on 24 April 2013, 71 people were burnt in the chemical warehouse fire at Churihatta in Chawkbazar, Old Dhaka on 20 February 2019, and finally, a fire at the Hashem Food and Beverage Factory in Rupganj, Narayanganj killed 52 low-income workers, including children.
The given figures show that accidents in industries, including fire incidents among others, are increasing at an alarming rate day by day. So far around almost a thousand people have died in fire accidents in different cases and more than a thousand have died in building collapses. The death toll in waterway and road accidents is even more worrying. Not only have many promising lives been extinguished in these accidents, but many resources and the country's image are being damaged. Our culture is becoming irresponsible, inhumane, and full of injustice. The real purpose of human conscience and education is losing out to money, greed, power, and politics. I would not say that the factory owners are ignorant, uneducated, and oblivious. They definitely know what is required to build a factory and how many conditions must be met by the organization, and there is an obligation to abide by labour laws, industry rules and regulations, fire prevention and extinguishing laws and regulations. They are bound by the laws to ensure safe work environment. Then why their conscience is not being awakened by so many deaths? Why don't they follow the labour laws and rules? Because, they are more concerned about profit than the safety of the workers and their lives.
With every accident there is a commotion for a while, an investigation committee is formed, and after a few days everything goes up in the air. If the investigation report is not published, the people are in a smokescreen and do not get the actual information and facts. This creates a culture of encouraging larger crimes than crime suppression. It is surprising to think that many investigation committees are without experts relating to the accident. Without an expert on the committee, it becomes difficult to find the root cause of the accident and there is an opportunity to divert its focus. As a result, the guilty cannot be brought to justice and accountability.
On September 4, 2020, 31 people died in a fire incident at the Baitus Salam Mosque in Narayanganj. At first it was said that the accident was caused by a fire from the AC's coolant gas. That is not acceptable at all. The coolant gas in an AC or a refrigerator is not combustible at all, and it is not possible to burn and die in such an explosion unless there is some other combustible substance.
In a factory, combustible substances cannot coexist freely with humans. Depending on the intensity of combustion of the substance, it must be stored in sealed areas and its safety has to be ensured. Where are the applications of industrial safety rules today? I think, it should be made mandatory now to hold safety drill in each factory on a regular basis. Without providing any safety report, licence renewal or extension will not be given during building new establishments, modifications, etc.
In the crimson ember of the fire every year, many young people are burnt to ashes like coal due to the culture of boundless greed, negligence of responsibility and injustice. In this way, how many more poor, innocent, and low-income class people will be snuffed out? When will we build quality and sustainable factories and ensure fire safety? Do we feel that we have a shred of responsibility to the workers and the society?
It is said that industry inspectors cannot inspect factories properly of those who are involved in politics. They have to give inspection report according to the benefactor's will. Again, the allegation that the factory inspector gives clearance to the unscrupulous and unsafe factory in exchange for extortion is not new. Human life is of no value in the face of their greed.
That's why I want to say in tune with Bhupen Hazarika, for the sake of people, for the sake of life- a little bit of security of life, can people not expect, O owners of industries, policymakers, and regulatory bodies?
We request all the factory owners, associations, and regulatory bodies to build and operate all the factories in the country in compliance with the standards set by the Ministry of Labor, International Labor Organization and Occupational Health and Safety Convention to prevent all accidents including fires. Authorities are also requested reorganize the infrastructure and power of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments under the Ministry of Labor and Employment and deploy skilled manpower. For this, if necessary, they can amend the laws and regulations to increase the fines and jail term for criminal offences. They can appoint a dedicated magistrate to take immediate disciplinary action like the Department of Environment. If these do not work, they can enact separate laws for occupational health and safety, and establish a fully autonomous national safety board under this law. We can expect that as the accidents at Rana Plaza and Tazreen Factories have greatly helped improve the working environment in some of the export-oriented garment factories under the pressure of the international buyer community and due to the sincerity of the owners' association, the workers' working environment at about ninety thousand other industrial units in the country can be improved with the cooperation of the government, association, and owners. Let our factories not become the graves of our workers- these will be sources of employment, economic growth, and poverty alleviation. This is what we hope for.

Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam, Professor, Researcher, and Writer, Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Dhaka, Email: [email protected]