Alliance finds 10 challenges to RMG fire safety

FE Report
The Alliance engineers have identified 10 challenges, including improper electric wire connections, insufficient exit facilities and lack of smoke detectors, for ensuring fire safety in the country's readymade garment industry.
The other challenges are - inadequate flammable liquids management, insufficient hose system and water-flow condition, and absence of adequate boiler rooms, aisles, assembly points and housekeeping arrangement.
 "Out of the 626 Alliance-listed factories, about 80 per cent have so far been assessed. Of which, structural flaws have been found in five units, while only one faced closure," Alliance managing director M Rabin said at a press conference at its office in the city Thursday.
The Alliance has recommended the review committee to take necessary actions in this regard. It has paid one month's wage to the closed factory workers. Besides, the factory owner paid one month's wage as compensation, he said.
The press conference was attended by labour leaders and members of Alliance Board Labour Committee Dr Wajed-ul-Islam Khan, Delwar Hossain Khan, Naimul Ahsan Jewel, Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Sukkur Mahmud, Shafi Uddin Ahmed, Sirajul Islam Rony, and its advisor Ian Spaulding.
Replying to a question, the Alliance MD said common findings of the factory assessment teams also included absence of fire exit doors in almost all units, generators and compressors on upper floors, child care centre near generator rooms, and improper electric wiring system.
He also said the Alliance is flexible to some extent to the manufacturing units, built before implementation of the Bangladesh National Building Code 2006.
The Alliance's purpose is to make the factories safer, and not to close any unit. Those units are allowed to prepare soil test report and modify according to drawing, he added.
However, the labour leaders blamed the Accord, saying the signatories are not contributing to payment of the workers, who become jobless following their inspection, and not even monitoring whether the owners have paid them or not.
Before the briefing, the leaders had a discussion with the Alliance, where they placed some demands, including inclusion of labour representations during inspection, integrate workers unions in remediation and follow up inspection process, and educating union representatives for training workers on fire safety awareness.
They also requested the Alliance to increase payment of workers up to six months, if any unit is shut down following its inspection.
Workers should not be jobless due to the inspection, they said, threatening to leave the Alliance, if workers' interest is not ensured.  
Replying to the labour leaders' demand over the payment, Mr Rabin said the Alliance is actively considering the issue.
"But the owners should also come forward in this regard, as the main responsibility lies on them," he opined.