BANGLADESH FIRE SAFETY ACTION STEPS MICRO AND MACRO LEVEL INITIATIVES SAIF KHAN April 26, 2013
Factory Level Initiatives Industry Level Initiatives What s already there Any New Initiative How To Do It Better
FACTORY LEVEL INITIATIVES
Enhancing Audits Current status Most factories meet traditional standards Why not working Soft practices related to fire safety not covered Bangladesh-specific risk areas not captured How to do it better Identify Bangladesh-specific risks Audits need to touch on management practices of H&S Action Steps 1. Outlining Bangladesh-specific standards 2. Focused safety assessments
Improving Training Current status Worker training by factory management Why not working How to do it better Ineffective training methods High worker turnover No training for supervisors and security guards More effective visual training (touching videos, posters) Training for security guards and supervisors Action Steps 1. Facilitate wider coverage of training 2. More effective videos on fire safety
Facilitating Worker Engagement Current status Ineffective to non-existent Why not working Management and workers do not see the value Top-down communication culture How to do it better Building on the worker committee legal requirement Joint H&S Committee for factories in shared facilities Action Steps 1. Enhance the existing worker committee 2. Requiring Health & Safety Committee
Solving Root Cause: Electrical Safety Current status Not in focus. Very poor standards Why not working How to do it better Cheap electrical equipment Untrained electricians Production pressure Separate electrical assessments Requiring trained electricians at factories Action Steps 1. Require factories to arrange electrical assessment
Building/Construction Safety Current status Why not working Many brands do not have specific requirement Unsafe shared facilities Weak building codes Corruption at approval stage How to do it better Set specific standards Moving out of shared facilities (for fire safety purpose) Requiring safety clearance from reliable firms for building extension (for building safety) Action Steps 1. Gradually move out of shared facilities
Improving Fire Safety Culture Workers Responding to all alarms Supervisors Production can wait Security Guards Body check can be skipped during emergency alarms Management Everyone participates in drill Action Steps 1. Videos Short films
Outlining Bangladesh Specific Standards Visible Areas 1. Proper fire hydrant system 2. Strong electrical layout 3. Synchronized fire alarms 4. Building-wide fire drills 5. Industrial grade emergency doors 6. Dedicated assembly points Soft Standards 1. No separate staircases for male and female during evacuation 2. No body check by security guard during emergencies 3. No involvement of supervisors in emergency evacuation
INDUSTRY LEVEL INITIATIVES
Industry Initiatives Mapping GIZ Fire Safety Alliance ETI Fire Safety Initiative WRAP Fire Safety Training FLA Fire Safety Initiative
DIALOGUE WITH GOVERNMENT Infrastructural Legal 1 Better roads to access factories 1 Stringent fire clearance process 2 Well equipped fire services department 2 Stronger building codes 3 Gradually moving all factories to industrial buildings 3 Reviewing workers compensation Compensation for Death $ 1280 Permanent Disability $ 1600 *Only around 20 months salary compared to China s 20 years
Holistic Action Plan Focused Audits 5% Effective Training Worker Engagement Projects 10% 10% Electric Safety Assessment 20% Building the Culture: Short Films 15% Joining Sector-wide Initiatives 40%
Fire Worker Safety 200+ Dead 2013 Building Collapse Target: No More 7 Dead 2013 Smart Garments 2012 117 Dead Tazreen Fashion 29 Dead 21 Dead 86 Dead 2010 Hameem 2010 Garib & Garib 2006 KTS Textiles
THANK YOU @ saif.khan@footprintscsr.com B http://footprintscsr.com/industry/bangladesh-fire-safety/