RMG sector can lead the way in fire accident prevention
The latest Bailey Road fire, which killed 46 people, serves as a wake-up call for commercial buildings and beyond. Lessons can be taken from the safety measures adopted by the RMG industry to prevent such tragedies
Bangladesh has been overwhelmed with repeated fire accidents in recent years. The capital's Bailey Road fire on 29 February is the latest nail in the coffin. It led many to ask how many more incidents need to happen before the authorities take stringent measures to prevent such alarming cases.
It is high time that we worked strategically to prevent these fire accidents in Bangladesh and insights from the ready-made garment (RMG) industries could be useful as this sector has suffered the most from recurring factory fire incidents.
A fire in the Tazreen Fashions factory in Bangladesh in 2012 killed 123 workers. The following year, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh killed 1,134 workers. The global outcry was immediate, particularly because many of the workers were filling orders from Western companies.
The government took action, and two initiatives (the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety and the 2013 Accord on Fire and Building Safety) were signed by global unions, and associations and the government catalysing much-needed steps.
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The Bangladesh government, international brands, trade unions and supplier factories joined hands to tackle the burning issue collaboratively. Engineering controls such as rewiring were done, as 80% of accidents were from electrical short circuits. Infrastructure reinforcements and fire protection systems were all put in place.
Once the engineering controls were in place, the administrative controls needed to be put in place to maintain the safety systems in factories.
BRAC has been working with over 450 factories through its Social Compliance programme that focuses on creating a culture of safety through administrative controls, which includes; identifying hazards, risk assessment and putting in control measures to minimise the risks, exceeding mere compliance, providing vital training to create awareness, and building an overall commitment to safety through embedding policies, procedures and work instructions.
With factories having engineering controls in place, the administrative measures help maintain safety by educating factory personnel to identify hazards and minimise risk; which needs to be customised accordingly to different setups with short-term, medium-term and long-term actions.
Short-term actions are some immediate administrative controls which the government and civil society/NGOs can lead with the support of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) Department and the City Corporation. Medium- and long-term actions would focus on engineering controls and administrative controls holistically.
If we look at the Nimtoli, Churi Hatta, Tazreen and Bailey Road fire incidents we can observe a few commonalities as follows:
1. The buildings in Bailey Road, Nimtoli and Churi Hatta all had hazardous substances. Chemicals and gas cylinders are all hazardous substances that need to be segregated and isolated to minimise the risks of casualties. The number of casualties might have increased on Bailey Road because of the multiple gas cylinders exploding because they were not segregated.
2. Over 75% of the rooftop was covered in the Bailey Road building. When the fire is on the ground floor, smoke will gradually move upwards. To ensure safety compliance, rooftops must be kept clear, open and unobstructed.
3. A PA system for every marketplace should be introduced so that people know there is a fire and can exit. Guards should also be trained and oriented to handle such situations.
4. Fire escapes must be kept clear at all times.
5. With infrastructure constraints, fire windows, chutes, etc can work as short-term measures instead of falling out of buildings.
6. Fire safety training and drills should be included in all safety processes.
7. Regulatory bodies such as Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) must ensure that all building codes are complied with. The higher the building, the more it requires an increase in the number of exits and added fire protection systems
8. There need to be consequences for non-compliance with the building's infrastructure and fire protection system. It is important to hold owners accountable and responsible for non-compliance.
Therefore, risks must be considered beforehand and prioritised, and actions must be taken to eliminate or minimise them. To solve this problem, which is a national concern now, all concerned bodies, including civil society, should support the government in designing short-, medium- and long-term action plans. In doing so, such devastating fire incidents would not occur in the future and casualties like in the case of the Baily Road accident can be spared.
Jenefa Jabbar is a seasoned professional in the RMG sector in Bangladesh and the Director of Social Compliance and Safeguarding at BRAC.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
