On-the-job safety a must in Factories in Bangladesh

The accidents occurred at different workplaces in the last 11 years, claimed 4,092 lives, with the highest casualty rate in construction and readymade garments sectors, reveals a study.

The Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), the conductor of the study, also points to the injuries sustained by scores of workers during the time.

According to the Labour Force Survey 2005-06 by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), 23.8 million workers are employed in major sectors such as manufacturing, electricity, gas, water, construction, transportation, storage, communications, trade, hotels and restaurants, public administration and personal services.

Experts say majority work in perilous conditions, risking their lives.

On March 5, three workers died from inhaling toxic gases at Apex Tannery in Hazaribagh, Dhaka. Nine others were injured. On February 25, 21 workers died in a fire at Garib & Garib Sweaters in Gazipur.

Although most incidents are linked to non-compliance with the existing laws and a lack of safety measures in the factories, none has yet been punished in connection with any accident.

The February 2006 fire at KTS Factory in Chittagong can be cited as example of such lapses in bringing the persons responsible for any accident to book. Some 10 cases were filed after the accident, which caused deaths of 54 workers, with seven being filed by the Inspectorate of Factories, a government body. But the employers were acquitted.

Ibrahim Hossain, a dyeing operator at KTS, said, "As fire broke out, workers scurried to find a way out as there was inadequate lighting. Fabrics were also piled everywhere, making it more difficult to navigate the obstacle."

Sewing Operator Ismail Hossain, another fortunate worker who managed to survive the fire, said workers could not flee the blazing factory, as there were not enough stairways.

In another accident, 65 workers died in a building collapse at Spectrum Sweater Factory in Savar in April 2005. Police failed to prove any employer to be guilty at court and they were acquitted in 2009.

Factory owners go unpunished in most cases, as few cases are filed, said an official at the Inspectorate of Factories.

Accountable owners got acquitted as the Inspectorate of Factories and Police failed to press charges despite abundant evidence, said lawyer Tanjib-ul Alam, adding that no legal action has been taken to prevent accidents at workplaces, except giving some compensation. And even if legal action was taken, follow-ups were not carried out, Alam pointed out.

The factories that are alleged to be non-compliant, and also vulnerable to fire and collapse must be shut, he added.

“The industrial policy, now under process, will address issues associated with environmental hazards and workers' health and safety,” Industries Minister Dilip Barua said.

“Employers must ensure security of their workers' lives. In case of accidents, employers must be penalised for violating law, which will ultimately bind any employer to comply with workers' safety rules in future," said Shirin Akhter, executive director of Karmojibi Nari, a nongovernmental organisation advocating the rights of women and workers.

Apart from deaths and injuries, workers are vulnerable to other forms of violence and hostility as well. In 2009, at least 18 workers were raped, 378 kidnapped, four acid-burnt and 40 tortured. Nineteen also committed suicide in separate incidents.

The BILS survey, based on newspaper reports, also detected causes of the accidents. The survey covered RMG, construction, domestic workers, ship breaking, rice mills, port workers, electric workers, migrant workers, transport, stone collection and cleaning sectors.

It said the accidents were resulted mostly from fire, electrocution, boiler or cylinder blast, gas suffocation, thunderbolt and rolling with the ribbon of machines.

In every case, employers did not compensate the victims -- some 15 cases were filed in the Chittagong division for not paying compensation.

The Dhaka division has no case of unpaid compensation, with the RMG industry paying the due compensation in time.

According to Section 309 of the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, there are five offences specifically related to health, safety and welfare, which include selling of unguarded machinery, failure to give notice of an accident, a breach causing death and a breach causing any harm.

Experts say labour law needs to be reformed in a way that protects the rights, health and life security of workers.

Source: Farhana Urmee, STAR