Fire Safety Bangladesh

[Mireille Kreines]

TheAccord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (the Accord) was signed on 15 May 2013. It is a five-year independent, legally binding Global Framework Agreement between global brands, retailers, and trade unions designed to build a safe and healthy Bangladeshi Ready Made Garment (RMG) Industry. The agreement was created in the immediate aftermath of the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh that resulted in the death of more than 1100 people and injured more than 2000. In June 2013, an implementation plan was agreed leading to the incorporation of the Bangladesh Accord Foundation in the Netherlands in October 2013.

In addition to schemes of building inspection and enforcement of fire and safety standards, the accord requires that contracts by international retailers with Bangladesh manufacturers provide for compensation adequate to maintain safe buildings. Retailers agree to continue to support the Bangladesh textile industry despite possible higher costs. It is estimated that the total cost may be $1 billion, about $500,000 per factory.[1] Close co-operation with the International Labour Organization and the government of Bangladesh is required. A steering committee which governs the accord is established as are dispute resolution procedures such as arbitration. The accord calls for development of an Implementation Plan over 45 days.[2]

The German government sponsored a meeting of retailers and NGOs at the beginning of May, and the meeting set a deadline of midnight of 16 May 2013 to sign up to the agreement.[5] Working with the Clean Clothes Campaign, Worker Rights Consortium, International Labor Rights Forum, and the Maquila Solidarity Network, the GIZ agency and IndustriALL (a global union federation) began forming a program that needed to meet the needs of trade union and NGO representatives. The main objectives of this program were a foundation for the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, specifically focusing on fire safety following the Rana Plaza factory collapse. Based on the previously submitted proposals for safety, the Accord was issued on 5 May 2013, and an official announcement of intention to sign was given by H&M on 13 May 2013. H&M signing of the Accord was a key step in encouraging other companies to declare their intent to sign as well. Numerous companies had signed up by the deadline, covering over 1,000 Bangladeshi garment factories.[6]

Since 29 October 2013, the Accord has been signed by over 200 apparel brands, retailers and importers from over 20 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia; two global trade unions; and eight Bangladesh trade unions and four NGO witnesses.[7][8] Some of the notable companies are listed below. For a complete list see the Bangladesh Accord website.[9]

Most North American retailers did not sign the accord. Companies like Gap Inc. and Walmart cited liability concerns. According to spokespersons for the retail industry, American courts, which allow class actions, contingent fees, and do not require losing plaintiffs to pay legal fees, might permit liability claims against retailers in the event of another disaster which might result in substantial enforceable judgments, in contrast to European courts which generally do not allow class actions, forbid contingent fees, and require losing plaintiffs to pay winning defendants' legal fees and costs. However, as John C. Coffee, professor of corporate law at Columbia Law School, pointed out, Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. might apply thus foreclosing suits by Bangladesh workers under the Alien Tort Claims Act, but this seems unlikely.[1] It is more likely that liability would be based on contract law.

On 10 July 2013, a group of 17 major North American retailers calling themselves the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety announced the Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative. The Initiative drew criticism from labour groups who complained that it was less stringent than the Accord and lacked legally binding commitments to pay for improvements.[10]

There were a significant number of accomplishments under the 2013 Accord, those of which included large scale hazard identification and remediation of these safety issues. Engineers inspected more than 2000 RMG factories where they identified more than 150,000 safety hazards.[11] Additionally, companies committed to negotiating terms with their suppliers such that it was possible for the factories to maintain and uphold a safe workplace environment along with maintaining the safety remediation requirements. There was also a Safety Training Program initiative where 1.4 million workers in Accord-covered factories were educated and informed about proper workplace safety and evacuation drills, along with the rights that they had under the Accord. Anything that was not effectively handled at the factory level, such as individual worker complaints, were processed through Safety and Health Complaints Mechanism, which allowed them to remedy these concerns. By the end of the 2013 Accord, 200 worker complaints had been effectively handed through this program.[11]

As of September 2019[update], there has been a 90% initial remediation progress rate at Accord-covered factories. 254 factories have completed the initial remediation and there has been over 90% initial remediation at 1,120 factories.

The 2018 Transition Key Accord was signed on 1 July 2018, in order to fulfill the same purposes as the 2013 Accord as well as maintaining the progress previously made. It is also a legally binding agreement between brands and trade unions and some of the key features include brand commitment to ensure safety remediation is completed and financially feasible, independent safety inspections and remediation program. There will also be disclosure of inspection reports and corrective action plans. Other key features of the accord include: a Safety Committee and Training Program, Safety and Health Complaints Mechanism, protection of right to refuse unsafe work, along with the transition of the Accord functions to a larger national safety monitoring body.

The Accord is governed by a Steering Committee that consists of representatives from the signatory companies and trade unions along with a neutral chair from the International Labor Organization (ILO).

One of the key features of the 2018 Accord is that it has pledged to hand over its functions to the Bangladesh government's Remediation and Coordination Cell (RCC), a unit of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments. The 2018 Accord pledges support for the RCC until it fully takes over the Accord functions.

Bangladesh has by far the worst record of major apparel producing countries with respect to fatal accidents involving workers. In the last six weeks, fatal fires at two export apparel factories in Dhaka have focused renewed attention to the need for industry-wide solutions in the critical area of workplace safety.

With this in mind, the WRC has offered the following recommendations to buyers of apparel from Bangladesh. The recommendations were jointly developed with the Clean Clothes Campaign, Maquila Solidarity Network, and International Labor Rights Forum, incorporating proposals from the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers Federation, the Solidarity Center, and a number of local labor rights organizations in Bangladesh. We recognize that further dialogue among a wider group of stakeholders will be crucial to their further development and implementation.

The WRC conducts independent, in-depth investigations; issues public reports on factories producing for major brands; and aids workers at these factories in their efforts to end labor abuses and defend their workplace rights.

Bangladesh is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. Bangladesh is also at risk from earthquake, along with a new dimension in urban risk due to its fast growing and increasing density. All disasters are associated with fire incident excluding flash flood. So more training is needed and awareness programme for the peoples to be enhanced. The present Government is committed to reduce disasters by enhancing overall disaster management capacity. Government of Bangladesh has expressed its commitment to invest more in the field of DISASTER RISK REDUCTION. Government of Bangladesh is implementing several programmes to enhance the disaster management system, response and recovery including firefighting system to a risk reduction culture and for that "Standing Orders On Disaster" has been developed. According to Bangladesh National Building Code (B.N.B.C), all high rise buildings, industries, factories, and business centers have to appoint fire safety manager. Based on the present demand and circumstances, a Fire Safety Manager Course is a time demanding course. We believe that this course will play a vital role to improve fire safety preparedness in Bangladesh. It is very much related subject with our activities. We know that such courses are being conducted by Fire Department in many countries around the world. Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate is the only mandated authority of the Government to carry out FIRE FIGHT and SEARCH & RESCUE operation in any disaster and also for fire and other disaster prevention activities.

The Program covers the fundamentals of fire science and public safety, including laboratory classes, Practical sessions, fire safety engineering, relevant structural engineering topics and field visit.

The entry requirement for the Fire Safety Manager Course is a Bachelor degree or any other equivalent level of education recognized by the competent authority and also fulfilling any other conditions fixed by the admission authority

And all other MIW Instructors /Masters in Fire science From FSCD Directorate, & Out sourcing from Universities, BUET, and Other Institute in Bangladesh/ Competent instructors/resource persons selected by the concern authority.

The online panel session, which featured CEO of non-profit Remake, Ayesha Barenblat, a Pakistan Accord signatory, a labour unionist, two activists and the director of the International Accord, came just ahead of the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse which remains the deadliest disaster in the history of clothing manufacturing where at least 1,134 workers died and 2,500 more were injured in this preventable tragedy. The tragic incident came just five months after the Tazreen factory fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where 120 workers lost their lives.

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