How RMG factories are maintaining health rules amid Covid-19

Amid the recent spike of coronavirus infections in the country, the readymade garment factories are successfully containing the spread of the deadly virus by strictly following the health guidelines issued by the government a year ago.

To curb infections, the government declared a nationwide public holiday on 26 March 2020.

A month later, with an aim to revive the economy, the government issued hygiene rules in line with the guidelines of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It decided to open factories to a limited extent following these rules.

In addition, Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) formed task forces to monitor whether factories were complying with hygiene rules.

In April this year, the then BGMEA director Rezwan Salim said factories were opened following proper hygiene rules.

He said zone-based factories were reopened on 26 April with 30% workers and the number of workers was then gradually increased in three phases.

The number of workers was increased after considering the coronavirus situation in particular regions, he added. 

According to the BGMEA and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), all the companies have reopened their factories in compliance with 100% hygiene rules.

Health guidelines

The BGMEA health safety guideline instructs each factory to form a medical team, and set up isolation and quarantine centers at the factory.

If a worker develops coronavirus symptoms, he or she should be isolated and those who come in contact with him or her should be quarantined.

Also, if someone wants to take leave for isolation or quarantine, he has to be granted the leave with pay.

The entire factory must be disinfected before opening every day. Installing a temperature measuring device at the entrance of the factory and arranging hand washing facilities with soap have to be ensured.

All factories must keep a hand washing system on each floor.

The guidelines also instruct to provide free face masks and PPE to every worker; ensure a distance of at least six feet between each worker when working in the factory and in the canteen through implementing shifting methods; and to install air purifiers in AC in the factory and increase the number of ventilations. 

Workers have been asked to use their own water containers. The same rules must be followed in child daycare centres and breastfeeding corners.

Workers and officials have been asked to provide counselling and training to raise awareness on the proper observance of hygiene rules during corona.

In addition to implementing these guidelines, some factories have taken special measures to protect the workers.

The factories of Envoy Group in Mymensingh, Snowtex Group in Dhamrai, Fatullah Apparel in Narayanganj and Hannan Group in Gazipur have installed disinfection tunnels at the entrance of their factories, besides arranging foot washing systems and providing shoe caps for shoes. In addition, measures have been taken to disinfect the toilets of the factories from time to time.

Fazle Shamim Ehsan, managing director of Fatullah Apparels and also a director of BKMEA, said after opening the factory following hygiene rules, we received a number of complaints about workers' unawareness.

One of the complaints is that workers who have fever take paracetamol before entering the factory; so that the temperature measuring instrument cannot detect the fever. So, we measured the temperature at least twice and strengthened observations.

Citing an example from his factory, he said, "One day I went to the factory and found a worker with red eyes. He said that he did not sleep at night and that is why his eyes were red. We suspected him. Then we measured his temperature after keeping him under observation for three hours. The worker had acute fever."

"He entered the factory after taking painkillers in the morning. Immediately he and those in contact with him were quarantined. And his corona test was arranged. However, he was given a few days off to recover after testing negative for Covid-19," he added.

He said workers hid their illness for fear of losing their jobs during the coronavirus crisis. But we try to assure them that the company will be with them in any situation.

Infected workers

According to BGMEA, a total of 709 RMG workers have been infected with coronavirus in listed factories till 31 March 2021, the first case being 27 April 2020. All of them have recovered. No worker died due to corona.

A survey by the Department of Health, published in June last year, found that only 1.5 % out of 3,000 affected were garment workers.

BGMEA director Rezwan Selim said coronavirus could not spread into the garment factories due to compliance with the hygiene rules. Basically the workers have been infected from outside. However, we immediately marked them and isolated them. We quarantined those who came in contact with the infected workers. Corona treatment costs have been borne by the factories concerned.

On April 26, the day after the factory opened, a corona-infected worker was identified in the factory of Windy Apparels, a subsidiary of Windy Group. The factory is located in Dhaka EPZ.

On April 27, the day after RMG factories were opened, a corona-infected worker was identified in the factory of Windy Apparels, a subsidiary of Windy Group. The factory is located in Dhaka EPZ.

Mesbah Uddin Khan, managing director of the company, said, "WE reopened our factory on April 27. On the same day I got the news that one of the workers of my factory had been infected with corona. The worker's home was in Rangpur. I have been informed about this by the Rangpur police."

"We contacted the worker and found out that he had left for work from his home. He was then told to return home and was quarantined there," he said, adding, "After completing his treatment under the supervision of the company, he joined the work."

The first corona infected patient in Bangladesh was detected on 8 March last year and the first death occurred on 18 March.

A Collaboration between The Business Standard and Shojag Coalition