Retailers, makers at odds over inspection standards

A fresh disagreement has cropped up between western retailers and local apparel manufacturers over some inspection standards after the latter opposed them terming them too costly, unrealistic and not implementable.
The industry insiders said the ready-made garment (RMG) owners were now in panic over the inspection process. They feared closure of many factories, if the apparel units were assessed based on the standards or checklists drafted by both the retailers' groups Accord and Alliance.
The thorny issues include the use of sprinklers, fire escape, fire wire walls and structures, fire window and fire door as certified by the UN, according to the sources.
They also alleged that there were many differences in standards set by both the Accord and the Alliance. The standards also included many new requirements besides those set by the National Plan of Action on fire and building safety.
"Buyers are now adding new requirements to the checklists triggering panic about inspection among the manufacturers," said Md Atiqul Islam, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) while talking to the FE Tuesday.
According to the draft standards of global buyers and retailers, the buildings having more than two floors with an area of 22000 sft and above and the high-rise buildings are required to install auto-sprinklers on every floor and in every part of a building. As per the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), sprinklers are not mandatory.
Moreover, they were suggesting fire doors as certified by the UN and use of cables not produced in Bangladesh, he said. He termed those 'unrealistic' and said the factories would not be able to run their business by bearing such high costs.
He also expressed concern over the misuse of hotline, disclosure of factory information before remediation period, confusion over remediation with required funds and buyers' mindset about shared buildings.
It created an alarming situation for the factory owners as factories at shared and rented buildings became a reality in the country. It would be unrealistic to view it as a safety issue before carrying out any safety assessment, he said.  
"All the issues are going to create a big challenge for the factories, when it comes to costs, installation and the possible post-installation hazards," he said.
If the inspection was done as per the buyers' plan, the sector would not survive, he warned.
Md Shahidullah Azim, managing director of Classic Fashion Concept Ltd, said installation of a sprinkler cost about Tk 20 to 30 million while it could cause water stagnation and damage fabrics and finished products.
"Sprinkler may be used in high-rise buildings where the fire service men cannot reach, if any fire occurs," he said adding most of factories are located on fifth to seventh floors where fire service men can reach easily.  
The requirements or fire-related standards as set by them would be best-suited for high tech industries, not for garment factories, said BGMEA's former president Mostafa Golam Quddus, adding these are not realistic and implementable in the perspective of Bangladesh.
Mr Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, managing director of Onus Group, said, "We also want to ensure workplace safety and the rights of workers, but all the measures planned to be taken should be implementable in the country's perspective.
"The safety issues should not create panic among the manufacturers and the change should not be expected to be done overnight," he added.
A professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) involved with the government-ILO-led inspection also said that use of sprinklers would be costly and not mandatory under the law of the land. But he stressed the need for use of fire doors for the sake of workers' safety.
Seeking not to be named, the BUET professor said many manufacturers were taking safety measures but not in a proper way.
"The government should look into the issues whether the consultancy firms are taking the advantage of the opportunity created after the Tazreen and Rana Plaza incidents," he said.
Regarding fire doors, the professor said the BUET or other government authority could introduce the technology of producing fire doors which might cost Tk 30,000 to 35,000.
When contacted, Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar said the National Tripartite Committee would not allow any new requirements that would go against the interest of the industry. The Accord and the Alliance needed to take permission from the NTC in case of adding new requirements to the inspection criteria, he added.
However, the apparel makers called upon the_Alliance, the Accord and other buyers to take a realistic approach in this regard and refrain from withdrawing orders from the factories.