EQUIVALENT INITIAL FIRE SAFETY ASSESSMENT Vill: Golora, Post: Kaitta P.S. Saturia, Manikgonj Manikgonj, Dhaka The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 1/14
Introduction to the Report The following report contains a site profile and summary of non-conformities identified during an onsite assessment commissioned by the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (Alliance) and conducted by a third-party Qualified Assessment Firm (QAF). The assessment was conducted against the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Assessment Protocols (APs) and Fire Safety and Structural Integrity Standard, which is harmonized with the factory assessment guidelines developed by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) for the Bangladesh National Tripartite Plan of Action (NTPA). The goal of the Alliance process is to provide clear and practical technical requirements by which Bangladeshi Ready Made Garment (RMG) Factories producing for Alliance members may be consistently and fairly evaluated for fire, structural, and electrical safety in a non-duplicative manner. Each assessment will prompt action plans that will be used by RMG factories to systematically and sustainably improve safety conditions for garment workers. Beyond tracking and reporting on action steps taken in a transparent manner, the Alliance organization and its members will seek to further support factory improvements through technical assistance, training, implementation support for functional Worker Committees, and in some cases financial assistance and wage support for workers if factories are closed for remediation. The contents of the report do not constitute a guarantee of compliance with the applicable laws, the Alliance Standard or the absolute or continued safety against fire, electrical and/or structural integrity issues that may lead to injury or loss of life. The report is designed to provide a non-exhaustive summary of risk issues, based on a limited sampling and duration of time onsite by the named QAF. Neither the QAF nor the Alliance can certify or guarantee the quality, outcome, or effectiveness of actions taken in response to the report. For more information and report feedback please go to: www.bangladeshworkersafety.org. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 2/14
GENERAL INFORMATION General Information Country: Province: City: Bangladesh Dhaka Manikgonj, Dhaka Zip Code: Audit Duration: Re-Audit: Re-Audit After 0 Months Draft Report June 17, 2014 Final Report June 30, 2014 Are all Action Items From Previous Assessment Completed?: Buildings in Complex: Is the building(s) owned or rented by the : Number of Building Levels (Stories): Approximate Building Area (SF): Date of Building Construction: Date of Last Building Renovation/Addition: Ancillary Structures in Complex: Approximate Ancillary Structures Area (SF): N/A A Cutting, B Finishing, C Sewing, D Dining, E Utility, F Washing Owned A 2, B 2, C 5, D 2, E 1, F 1 A 84000 + 59500, B 35000 + 18000, C 41000 * 5, D 9000 * 2, E 17000, F 24000 A 2007, B 2007, C 2012, D 2007, E 2007, F 2007 unknown 0 N/A Number of Occupants: A 740, B 800, C 3500, D 1400, E 6, F 300 The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 3/14
Number of Ancillary Levels (Stories): Occupancy Type: Construction Type: Height of est Occupied Floor Level Above Grade: N/A A Cutting, B Finishing, C Sewing, D Dining, E Utility, F Washing A, B, D & F are unprotected steel, C & E are reinforced concrete A- 2 B- 2 C- 5 D- 2 E- 1 E- 1 stories The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 4/14
ASSESSMENT FINDINGS Fire Protection Construction Is each floor separated with a fire-resistive rated construction barrier? Cutting Building. Both ground and mezzanine levels are open to the double height rack storage warehouse. Four stairs inside the building are open to both levels. Finishing Building. The mezzanine is completely open to the ground floor level on one side Photograph: Ground and mezzanine levels open to double height rack storage warehouse., Visual Assessment, Photograph: Ground and mezzanine levels open to double height rack storage warehouse., Visual Assessment Cutting and Finishing Buildings - Separate the mezzanine from the ground level with 2-hour fire-rated construction. Reference Alliance Standards Part 4 Section 4.5 Separation Are openings and penetrations through rated walls and/or assemblies protected? Penetrations are not protected with listed firestop systems. Photograph: Electrical power riser is installed through openings on every floor., Visual Assessment, Photograph: Electrical power riser is installed through openings on every floor., Visual Assessment Install listed firestop systems at every penetration through floors and fire rated walls. Protect all required egress stairs with a shaft enclosure including 2-hour fire-rated construction. Install fire rated doors in doorways through these walls. Cutting Includes doors, windows, ducts, piping, etc. Reference Alliance Standards Part 4 Section 4.6 Opening Protectives and Section 4.7 Penetrations Are separations between hazards provided with fire-resistive rated construction barriers. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 5/14
Storage areas and hazardous areas are open to rest of building. Separate storage areas and hazardous areas including elevator machine rooms from the rest of the building with 1-hour fire-rated construction. Install fire rated doors in doorways through these walls. Separate adjacent buildings with exposure protection. Reference Alliance Standards Part 4 Section 4.5 Separation Fire Protection Systems Are notification and initiation devices for the fire alarm system installed at required locations based on occupancy type? There is a manual fire alarm system with push buttons not located at the exits. There were horns installed, but not enough to ensure proper notification in all areas. Single-station smoke alarms were installed. Remove the existing unlisted fire alarm systems. Install listed fire alarm systems per NFPA 72. Install pull stations at each entrance to an exit. Install notification horns and strobes so that all occupants are notified in an alarm. Replace single statio Pull stations at egress points, smoke detectors in air handling equipment, visual and audible devices spaced appropriately based on occupancy type. Reference NFPA 72 Does the building have a Standpipe System? Hose stations were installed on each floor. Install a Class III standpipe system in the Sewing Building with fire department The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 6/14
valves at the floor landings in each stair. Does the building have a standpipe system installed where required. Alliance Standard Part 5 Section 5.4.2 Does the building have a fire pump? Hoses are supplied from the compound water supply. Design and install a fire pump system that delivers the most demanding requirement of the standpipe systems. Alliance Standard Part 5 Fire Protection Systems Is the fire alarm and detection system monitored by a central station monitoring service or directly connected to the Fire Service and Civil Defense? No centrally reporting system was present. Arrange for direct connection of the fire alarm and detection system to a central station monitoring service or the Fire Service and Civil Defense as per Alliance Standard Part 5 Section 5.7.5 Monitoring. Until that time that a central station monitoring Alliance Standard Part 5 Section 5.7.5 Monitoring Means of Egress Occupant loads on each level (floor) do not exceed the capacity of the available means of egress. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 7/14
Dining Building Ground Floor load=700 capacity=264, Mezzanine load=700 capacity=264 Install additional exits and egress stairs to increase egress capacity to 700 persons per floor. Alliance Standard Part 6 Section 6.4 Occupant Load Exit discharge is directly to the exterior of the building, unless the requirements of 6.17.2 are met, at grade or provides direct access to grade. Exit discharge shall not reenter a building. Interior exit stairs discharge into the building, including into the rack storage warehouse. Egress stairs shall discharge to the exterior. Where stairs end inside the building, construct a 2-hour fire-resistance rated corridor from the bottom of the stair to an exterior discharge door. Protect all required egress stairs with a shaft enclosure in Alliance Standard Part 6 Section 6.17 Exit Discharge. See Section 16.7.2 and 16.7.3 for exceptions. Doors along the path of egress have a minimum width of 0.8 m (32 in) and have required ratings. All doors were unrated. Protect all required egress stairs with a shaft enclosure including 2-hour firerated construction. Install fire rated doors in doorways through these walls. Install listed, labeled, approved, automatic-closing, side-swinging, fire rated doors in fire rat The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 8/14
Alliance Standard Part 6 Section 6.5.6 Minimum Widths. Increased occupant loads will require a door width greater than 0.8 m. All doors in a means of egress are of the side-hinged swinging type. Folding, sliding and roll-up doors were installed. Remove all existing gates and doors in the egress stairs. Install automaticclosing, side-swinging, fire rated doors in fire rated frames with latching panic hardware. These doors should be a minimum of 39 inches wide with a total opening of at least half Alliance Standards Part 6 Section 6.8 Doors and Gates Exterior exit stairs are separated from the building with the required rating. The rating of the exterior wall shall extend 3.05 m (10 ft) beyond the ends of the stair structure. The exterior stairs are exposed to the building windows. Fill windows that are within 10 feet of exterior stairs with 2-hour fire-rated construction. Alliance Standard Part 6 Section 6.3.1.2. Three stories or less 1-hr rating. Four stories of more 2-hr rating Interior exit stairways and ramps terminate at an exit discharge except where terminating at a rated exit passageway. Interior exit stairs discharge into the buildings. Where stairs discharge into a building, install a rated exit passageway from the The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 9/14
bottom of the stair to an exterior discharge. Alliance Standard Part 6 Section 6.14 Exit Enclosures Doors are not locked in the direction of egress under any conditions. All hasps, locks, slide bolts, and other locking devices have been removed where required. Non-Compliance Level: 2 Exits include swinging, folding and sliding steel doors with bolts, threshold and tracks. Remove all existing gates and doors in the egress stairs. Install automaticclosing, side-swinging, fire rated doors in fire rated frames with latching panic hardware. These doors should be a minimum of 39 inches wide with a total opening of at least half Alliance Standards Part 6 Section 6.8 Doors and Gates Landings are provided on both sides of doors used along the path of egress. Doors do not swing out over stairs. Non-Compliance Level: 2 Cutting building exits include ground floor exit staris without landings. Where exit doors lead directly onto discharge stairs, install a landing immediately outside the doors. Alliance Standards Part 6 Section 6.8 Doors and Gates Occupant loads are posted for every assembly and production floor in a conspicuous space near the main point of egress. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 10/14
No occupant load signs are posted. Install occupant load signs at every floor landing in each stair. Alliance Standards Part 6 Section 6.4.4 Posting of Occupant Load Handrails are provided on both sides of each stairway. Intermediate handrails are provided when the stair width exceeds 2.2 m (87 in.). Handrails are not mounted lower than 760 mm (30 in.) or higher than 1100 mm (44 in.). Non-Compliance Level: 2 Handrails are not provided on both sides of stairs. No hand rails are provided at exit discharge steps. Install handrails on both sides of all stairs. Alliance Standard Part 6 Section 6.9 Stairs and 6.12 Handrails and Guards All paths of egress are provided with compliant means of illumination. Some emergency lights were present and installed on emergency power. Provide illumination of egress paths at all times the building is occupied. Illumination needs to be a minimum of 10 lux for all corridors, exit doors and stairways. Illumination for aisles needs to be a minimum of 2.5 lux. Alliance Standards Part 6 Section 6.7 Egress Illumination and Part 10 Section 10.12 Illumination of Exit Signs and Means Of Escape Illuminated exit signs are placed at entrances to exits and along the path of egress anywhere the continuation of egress is not obvious or there is a change in the direction of the path of travel. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 11/14
Lighted exit signs were installed only at the exits. Provide continuously illuminated exit signs at all required exits and along egress paths, especially where path has a change of direction. Alliance Standard Part 6 Section 6.11 Exit Signs Changes in elevation of walking surfaces do not exceed 6.35 mm (1/4 in) unless provided with a beveled slope of 1 in 2 that does not exceed 12.7 mm (1/2 in). Cutting building exits included uneven floors. Thresholds are installed at some exits. Create a smooth walking surface according to the standard. Remove tripping hazards including thresholds. Install 1:12 ramps instead of thresholds. Alliance Standard Part 6 Section 6.3.4 Walking Surfaces Stair treads are of nominal uniformity. Cutting building included one exit with a 9.5" tread height which did not match the others. Rework stairs so that tread heights are uniform. Alliance Standards Part 6 Section 6.9 Stairs. Any tread height exceeding more The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 12/14
than 50% of the adjacent tread heights or 75 mm (3 in.), whichever is less, shall be modified to be within this tolerance Stair designation signs are provided at each floor entrance from the stair to the floor in English and Bengali. Signs indicate the name of the stair and the floor level. Signs are posted adjacent to the door. Low Not all stair landings have stair designation signs. Install stair designation signs at all stair landings. Alliance Standard Part 6 Section 6.9 Stairs Fire Safety Programs Storage areas underneath the cutting tables are clear of combustibles. Combustibles are stored under the cutting tables. Remove all combustibles and other storage from under the cutting tables and all similar obstructions. Alliance Standard Part 17 Section 13.7.2 Cutting tables. A written housekeeping policy is established and enforced. Low There were boxed goods stored in one egress path in the Finishing Building. Photograph: Boxed goods stored in egress path., Visual Assessment, Photograph: Boxed goods stored in egress path., Visual Assessment Remove all excess storage from office and production areas. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 13/14
Alliance Standards Part 13 Section 13.6 Housekeeping The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Page 14/14