The implementation of Fire, Building and Electrical safety measures is evident after the heart-rending incidents of Rana Plaza collapse and Tazreen Fashions blaze, but a question remains: are we putting much emphasis on occupational health and safety of the workers? We are still preoccupied with the traditional view of occupational health and safety. The state of supplying Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to workers to face all kinds of hazards at vulnerable factories clearly shows the poor understanding of the requirements and benefits of good occupational health and safety (OHS) management. PPE is considered the last defence with regards to OHS.
Fire safety, building safety and electrical safety do not contribute to operational efficiency, productivity and revenue generation, but occupational health, workplace hygiene and worker safety and welfare directly contribute to operational efficiency, productivity and revenue generation. It is high time to work for occupational health and safety of the workers in Bangladesh ready-made garment (RMG) sector to boost up business by building an OHS 'safe image' globally. Social protection, labour rights and welfare are mostly protected in the country, but we fail to see that with little more attention to workers' health and safety we can help increase productivity as workers' health and productivity are interrelated.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), "Occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace and has a strong focus on primary prevention of hazards". The aspects covered by workplace health are occupational health and safety, healthy choice and organisational health. The benefits of healthy workplace include more productivity, less turnover, less absenteeism, fewer injuries, high retention, job satisfaction, and less stress etc.
Frank E. Bird (1921-2007), a true pioneer in occupational safety measures, conducted a study in the insurance industry. He concluded that for every major injury there were 9.8 minor injuries and the ratio of lost time injuries to medical treatment injuries was 1:15. ILO has estimated that 4 per cent of the world's annual GDP is lost as a consequence of occupational diseases and accidents.
Let us have a look at the occupational health risks found in our RMG sector. They are mainly physical, chemical, biological and psychological. Before going into a detailed understanding of risks, it is important to have an idea about the difference between hazards and risks. A hazard is a potential source of harm having adverse health effect on a person or persons; and a risk is the multiplication of likelihood and severity. The physical risk at the workplace involves poor work ergonomics, musculoskeletal disorders, needle piercing, excessive noise, temperature (heat and cold), machines, slip, trips, fall, vibrating machinery, electricity and lighting.
In our garment factories, poor work ergonomics comes up as a major challenge which has long-term health effects, because the workplace is not designed taking into account the human factors. Women in the garment factories behind the sewing machines continue working sitting on wooden benches by bending forward without back-support and proper feet-support. This problem can be solved through giving them a proper sitting arrangement considering the human factors of the individual workers. Proactive ergonomics is desirable than reactive ergonomics. Especially in the finishing area, women work standing for long hours which hinders blood circulation in their feet. This hazard can be reduced simply by providing cushioned rubber mats underneath their feet or by providing a standing support that can absorb 60 per cent of the body's weight. Heavy manual handling, repetitive work and awkward postures can damage the discs (working as a shock absorber) as our spine is made of vertebrae separated by discs. Lifting equipment can be introduced replacing heavy manual handling. In industrial jobs, the time to complete one unit of assembly or to inspect one item is defined as a cycle. This activity is considered repetitive if the cycle time is two minutes or less and is repeated throughout a shift. Highly repetitive tasks have cycle times of 30 seconds or less (Eastman Kodak 1986). Repetitive work injury can be solved by providing sufficient breaks. During breaks it is advisable not to overuse those muscles that are used when performing heavy and repetitive work. Ergonomics is the science that deals with designing and arranging equipment, environment etc so that workers can use them easily and safely to optimise work efficiency.
Needle piercing is the most common injury at garment factories. Proper use of machine guards (needle guards) can prevent injuries like needle piercing and eye injuries (eye guards for eye injuries). Most of the time, workers do not use machine guards as they don't feel comfortable using them. Administrative control like training and telling workers about the benefits of using machine guards and the consequences of not using them can be effective.
Electrocution is among the major risks at workplace. Voltages over 50 volts AC or 120 volts DC are considered hazardous. There are four types of electrical injuries such as electrocution (fatal), electric shocks, burns, and falls caused as a result of contact with electrical energy. Maintaining all electrical installations in good working order, having proper load management, providing suitable electrical equipment for proper working environment, making sure all wires are connected securely and ensuring safe operation of equipment can prevent electrical hazards.
Noise is very common hazard at the work-place and the risk of noise in work-related places leads to occupational hearing loss which is irreparable. According to the environment conservation rule-97, schedule-4, the permissible limit provides a general view of noise limit, which is area-based, namely, mixed, residential, silent, sensitive and commercial area; but it does not clearly give the absolute limit value at the workplace. Places like boiler rooms, generator rooms, surrounding area of the sucker machine are prone to excessive noise. Noise abatement at the source can be done by maintaining tools and equipment routinely (such as lubricating gears), by damping sound (if it is not possible to prevent sound at source or to shield the source), reducing vibration where possible, isolating the noise source in an insulated room or enclosure, isolating operators. People who are exposed to prolonged working hours to around 80dB(A) can be victims of hearing loss. A daily exposure of 8 hrs to 80 dB(A) or more requires earmuff. It is interesting to see that boiler or generator operators unnecessarily stay close to the equipment, even though their continuous attendance is not required. By giving counsels the problem can be minimised.
Occupational health and safety is very much essential when it comes to chemical substances. Chemical safety MSDS (material safety data sheet) with its 16 sections clearly depicts the hazards associated with chemicals and what to do in case of emergency. There are two broad types of hazards associated with hazardous chemicals which may result in an immediate or long-term injury or illness. These are health hazards, and physicochemical hazards. Typical health hazards include headaches, nausea or vomiting and skin corrosion, while chronic health effects include asthma, dermatitis, nerve damage or cancer. Physical or chemical properties of the substances, mixtures or articles that pose risks to workers other than health-related ones are physicochemical hazards. Inappropriate handling or use of chemicals can often result in injury to workers. Physicochemical hazards include flammable, corrosive, explosive, chemically reactive ones. See-through fabric made masks are being used in chemical handling and storage areas; but it is not considered appropriate because the vapour of chemicals can easily pass through the lung and enter our bloodstream and cause long-term health effects. Chemical cartridge/gas mask/ respirator mask can be used as it filters or cleans chemical gases and, possibly, particles out of the air as we breathe. Even "N-95" filtering face-piece respirator is not effective as it does not protect one against chemicals, gases, or vapours.
Ventilation and temperature for workers play a major role in our garment factories. The dyeing areas are humid and the temperature is high; but our law does not give a clear standard limit for temperature. It is recommended to maintain humidity between 40 and 60 per cent and comfort levels of temperature are between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius. Workers who are exposed to high temperature can be provided with plenty of drinking water, ventilation and cooling shower. Adequate lighting can prevent workplace accidents by increasing the visibility of moving machinery and other safety hazards. The amount of light required in workplace depends on the type of work and work space. It is always preferred to use natural daylight, but direct dazzle and reflection of light must be avoided.
Biological agents include viruses, bacteria and fungi, as well as parasitic worms. Some infectious agents are transmitted directly, while the others indirectly. Direct transmission can be through physical contact from infected to non-infected persons, and indirect transmission can happen through attaching oneself to food, water, cooking or eating utensils or by inhaling air. Practising good personal hygiene (e.g. regular hand washing) and regular medical check-up can minimise health hazards. Psychological hazards keep workers in stress, and bullying at the work-place is the main psychological hazard. Proper communication and interpersonal relationship among persons at top, mid- and workers' level can minimise this health hazard. Psychological health should be viewed in the same way as other health and safety risks.
Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2013 says: Where fifty employees are employed, it is mandatory to form an OHS committee by the employer.
Comprehensive Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (HIRA) with matrix needs to be completed and maintained to deal with all occupational hazards. They are identified through a systematic review of operations and activities enabling risks to be minimised through the implementation of risk control measures. These measures are implemented through a 'hierarchy of controls'. Due to the unique nature of health risks, the identification of these shall be determined by a qualified person who is competent to perform the Health Risk Assessment by virtue of his or her medical and technical knowledge.
If the Likelihood of a risk is 5 and the Severity is 5, the result would be 25. The organisation determines High, Medium and Low Risk Rating on its matrix. The Risk assessment matrix helps the Risk Assessment Team to prioritise the risks and helps it to determine the control measures (Elimination, Substitution, Engineering control, Administrative control, Personal Protective Equipment).
Our labour law and factory rules 1979 covers the health and safety issues at workplace. ILO is working to enliven the OHS condition in the RMG sector of Bangladesh. Besides, the World Bank in its environmental and social framework for setting standards for sustainable development also has put emphasis on occupational health and safety.
Machines can be replaced if they are damaged or become out of service, but we cannot replace humans. Occupational health and safety hazards at RMG factories can be removed or avoided by proper control measures of elimination, substitution, engineering work, administrative work or by providing personal protective equipment.
The writer is Assistant Secretary (Compliance), BKMEA.
 muzahidul007@yahoo.com