Formulation of common standards in the offing

The government will formulate a set of common standards to ensure occupational health and safety for all the industrial sectors of the country.
Besides, a plan of action will also be made to successfully implement the 'National Occupational Health and Safety Policy, 2013'.
The decisions were taken on Tuesday at the first meeting of the restructured 'National Industrial Health and Safety Council' at the secretariat with State Minister for Labour Mujibul Hoque Chunnu in the chair.
Secretaries of ministries of Labour, Industries and Shipping Mikail Shipar, Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and Shafiq Alam Mehedi respectively, Inspector General of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Syed Ahmed and representatives from owners and workers, among others, were present in the meeting.
"A 13-member committee headed by the DIFE Inspector General has been formed in this connection," the minister said after the meeting.
The committee comprising representatives from workers, owners, government and experts has been directed to devise two separate work plans for the policy implementation strategy within three months and for the Council the deadline of which is yet to be fixed, he said.
Later, a set of common standards that would be applicable for both formal and informal sectors of the country would be framed mainly to ensure occupational and health safety, he explained.
If needed, the committee will exchange views with all the stakeholders including Accord and Alliance, two initiatives formed by Western apparel buyers, retailers and brands, Mr Chunnu added.
Earlier, the ministry of labour framed the policy aiming to aid industrialisation and ensure workers' safety and compliance with other standards, apart from retaining competitiveness, especially in the wake of frequent disasters in the country's billion-dollar garment sector, officials said.
The Tazreen Fashions and Rana Plaza tragedies that claimed more than 1,200 workers' lives and left several hundred others injured helped put forth the demand for framing the national occupational and health safety policy.
The policy will cover industrial units in both formal and informal sectors. It will also cover factories, establishments, trade and commerce, agriculture sector, agro-based farms and other workplaces, they added.
It has also shed light on moral and legal obligations, responsibility of the government, owners, trade unions, employers, workers and their implementation strategy.
According to the policy, the government will identify the risky sectors on a priority basis and also preserve all information on the number of work-related diseases, accidents, deaths, injuries, compensation etc.
Proper treatment and compensation after any accident, rehabilitation of injured workers, arrangement to identify work-related diseases, occupational health problems and periodic medical check-ups of workers have been recommended to be done by the owners, officials concerned have said.
It has also put emphasis on creation of a pool of safety experts to ensure safe workplaces and conduct occupational health safety surveillance and identify occupational diseases.
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