DIFE seeks ministry\\\'s decree to take actions against RMG units

A move is underway to take necessary actions against the apparel factories, failing to initiate detailed engineering analysis (DEA) within the stipulated timeframe, officials said.
The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) sought necessary directives from the labour ministry in this regard last month. The DIFE assessment found that some 14 factories, having structural flaws, missed the deadline for starting their required DEA, they added.
"We will sit shortly to decide the steps, to be taken against those units," Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar told the FE on Wednesday.
DIFE Inspector General Syed Ahmed told the FE: "We gave reminders to 14 manufacturing units that are yet to take any move towards conducting DEA, but got no result."
"So, last month we sought the labour ministry's instructions in this regard," he added, without mentioning the name of the factories.
A official review panel, headed by the DIFE inspector general, was formed  last year to decide on shutdown of any garment factory, if found risky or non-compliant during inspection by any of the three parties - BUET, Accord or Alliance.
The panel got recommendation of reviewing some 41 buildings, accommodating a total of 84 garment factories, from the three parties during their assessment this year.
Finding risky, the panel announced immediate shutdown of 32 factories, while 21 units were partially closed, and 49 were asked to conduct DEA, DIFE sources said.
Out of those 49 factories, only five had conducted DEA, 30 units are conducting it now, while the rest 14 are yet to take any step despite frequent reminders.
The factories were asked to start DEA immediately after visit of the review panel (within six weeks), they added.
Professor Mehedi Ahmed Ansari of BUET said DEA was recommended when owners or manufacturers of a building failed to provide its drawing and design documents.
To know a building's present situation all the testing, including soil test, depth of building foundation, scanning of rod and columns and core test etc, are time-consuming. There are some more factories with amber marking that are yet to take any move to conduct DEA recommended by BUET, he said.
Replying to a question, Alliance Managing Director M Rabin said all its 12 factories, which were asked to conduct DEA, are carrying out the process, though the pace is slow.
"There is a long queue in BUET laboratory for core testing - a major requirement of DEA," he added.
munni_fe@yahoo.com