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Abstract
This paper discusses in brief the problem of health and safety issues of worker in garment
industries in Bangladesh based upon the industry environment, their working environment,
working condition, age, problem of health, causes of diseases, causes of fire accident and
their medical facilities. Most of the information of this project paper has collected by
interviewing workers of several garments industry in Gajipur, & Nariongong Bangladesh and
from the articles of newspaper.
Page 3 of 19
1. Respiratory protection
2. Eye protection
3. Heat stress protection
4. Fire protection
5. Training program
6. Finger protection
7. Proper lighting
8. Ergonomic design of the work station.
9. Awareness.
10. First aid medicine
Page 4 of 19
Above safety issues should follow by the garments industry to ensure the workers safety.
In present most of the garments industry don’t show much concern about the basic safety
issue of garments worker. For this reason many unexpected accident occur frequently and
causes huge losses of both workers and to owners.
Recently we’ve an opportunity to meet several workers of different garments industry the
summary of the interview is given bellow,
We: We’re fine. We’re conducting a project about the “Safety problems of
garments worker and prevention” & we’d like to ask you some question about
your garments life, can you please help us with it?
Worker: Sure.
We: How long you have been working in this sector? And what is your job title?
We: Have you face any health related problem after joining with this job?
Worker: Yes, my friend facing many other problems like Asthma, Eye problems, Skin
problem, back pain, headaches.
We: Do you get any personal protective equipment like apron, shoe, globes,
googols, ear plugs from your organization?
We: Do you receive any training program about health and fire safety?
(This conversation has been taken from the workers of Akij garments industry Ltd. Fokira
industry Ltd, Nariongong)
Page 5 of 19
Some Common injury of garments worker2: Here we’ve listed some common
injury of garments worker.
Injury Reason
For Safety:
(i) Not enough fire exit doors and ventilation for air circulation of industry building
(ii) It is found that most of the garment industries do not use safety sign
according to the ILO conventions.
(iii) Most of the fire and smoke alarm bells does not work in garment industries and
(iv) Many garment industries does not have fire and smoke alarm systems.
(v) Routes are blocked by storage materials.
(vi) Machine layout is often staggered.
(vii) No provision for emergency lighting.
(viii) Doors, opening along escape routes, are not fire resistant.
(ix) Doors are not self-closing and often do not open along the direction of escape.
(x) Adequate doors as well as adequate staircases are not provided to aid quick exit.
(xi) Fire exit or emergency staircase lacks proper maintenance.
(xii) Lack of proper exit route to reach the place of safety
(xiii) Parked vehicles, goods and rubbish on the outside of the building obstruct exits to
the open air.
(xiv) Fire in a Bangladesh factory is likely to spread quickly because the principle of
Compartmentalization isn’t practiced.
(xv) Lack of awareness among the workers and the owners.
Policy Measures: Following policy measures may solve the problems of occupational
illness and diseases prevalent among the garment workers.
Ensure the supply of pure drinking water: “Water is life”. But in many industries
there is no proper supply of pure drinking water. That’s why the workers drink
unhealthy water and suffer from various diseases. So the industries should have the
proper supply of pure drinking water to their workers.
Heat stress protection: Because a garment factory uses many heated processes, it is
important for workers to avoid heat stress by labeling and guarding hot surfaces and
drinking plenty of water during their shift. Proper ventilation can help to reduce
ambient temperatures and ensure worker comfort.
Ventilator
Setup medical center for first aid treatment: In our survey we found that most of
garment industries have no designated first aid sections clearly marked. But this
section should have well stocked cabinet of medicines and bandage because many
small accidents in garment industries can be dealt with immediately. So both male and
female workers should be trained in basic first aid treatment and it is ensured to
present in every shift especially at night.
Adequate wash room for the worker: In most case of our garments industries don’t
have proper sanitation system and sufficient toilet for the worker that’s why dysentery
and other related diseases are often found.
Figure: A typical of unhealthy wash room for the Figure: Healthy wash room for the workers
worker
Page 11 of 19
Recreation facility for the worker: In order to remove monotonousness from work it
is very essential to setup recreation facility for the workers. It reduces psychological
cost from worker.
Fire Accidents in Garment Industries3: Since 1990, over 350 workers have
died and some 1500 injuries in fire related incidents in garments industries in
Bangladesh. Till 2000, there were more than hundred fires in industries in
Bangladesh. More than 5000 workers were killed. Table shows that some recent fire
accidents in garments factories in Bangladesh. Data shows in table 8 indicate the
casualties of workers in garment industries due to fire. It is seen from the dead
column in table 10 that workers of both sexes are the casualties of fire.
* On March 2010, in the incident of fire in Garib and Garib Sweater Factory killed at least 21
workers and injured a further 50.The fire, seemingly caused by an electrical short circuit,
started on the first floor of the seven story building at 9.30pm on Thursday February 25. As
the fire spread, workers became trapped on the floors above.
It appears, from witness statements and press reports, that emergency exits were blocked, the
front gate was locked and fire extinguishing equipment was either missing or inappropriate.
Figure: Garib & Garib Sweater factory - March 2010 Figure: The fire, seemingly caused by an electrical
short circuit, started on the first floor of the seven
story building
According to one survivor, rescue efforts were further hampered by the fact that firemen had
to cut the window grills to access the building and rescue the trapped workers. No-one on the
scene could tell fire fighters how many workers were in the factory at the time the fire began.
* 91 killed in a fire in KTS textile mill, Chittagong, February 23, 2006. At least 500 workers
were inside the mill when the fire broke out. Most of the survivors had to jump from
windows as the only exit from the factory was reportedly locked when the fire broke out late
on a Thursday night. No representatives of the KTS Textile Mills were available for
comment. Most of the victims were women, trapped by the flames or suffocated from smoke
inhalation. The fire might have been caused by an electrical short circuit. The explosion of a
boiler escalated the blaze. The fire had spread quickly through the building because of stacks
of yarn piled up on the floors.
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* March, 2006, three female workers were killed and 50 were injured in the Saiem Fashion
Ltd fire and the subsequent stampede to escape the burning building. The only exit to the
factory was deliberately blocked by boxes
* On May 3rd 2004, nine women were trampled to death and 50 others injured when they ran
for their lives after a false fire alarm atomics Super Market, Dhaka. 3,000 to 5,000 workers
from five garment factories jam-packed in the Masco Supermarket complex in Dhaka,
Bangladesh While some of the workers exited through the fire escapes, most workers took
the main stairway to the front gate of the building, where they found the gate locked
* On the morning of August 8, 2001, in Dhaka's Murmur area. At 9am, a worker at Mica
Sweater Ltd., on the seventh floor of the building, sounded the alarm after seeing flames
shooting from the electric circuit board. Workers from five different units converged on the
stairs, but found the single exit locked and the security guard absent. In the resulting
stampede, twenty four workers died and over one hundred were injured.
* On 6 March, 2006, 3 more garment workers were killed in a stampede from a fire panic at a
Gazipur garment factory, near Dhaka.
Page 15 of 19
* A fire occurred on November 25, 2000at the Chowdhury Knitwear and Garments Ltd
factory in Norshingdi. Some 600 workers who were working at the time surged towards the
single narrow staircase, but found both the main gate and the emergency gates locked. Most
of the 46 victims died of suffocation or were crushed to death in the panic.
Suggestions Regarding Fire Safety: We need to remember that when there is a fire,
the first thing one should do is to run away from it. And this is what everyone does in such a
situation. But the situation become dangerous and tragic when the escape doorways and gates
are found locked (i.e. accident in KTS Textile Industries in Chittagong).Precautionary
should need to be adopted are given below:
1. Building should be constructed with fire resisting materials.
2. Announce the facility as a smoke free zone.
3. Adequate exits and proper escape routes should be designed
4. Protection against fire and smoke should be ensured.
5. Electrical wiring must be properly designed, installed and maintained.
6. All electrical cables shall be so laid that they can be easily inspected or
maintained.
7. Safety switches shall be provided on four corners of the working floor.
8. Indicating lamps (red and green) shall be provided in the operator’s cabin.
9. Escape routes should be lighted at all times, kept clear be indicated by signs.
10. Regular fire drills should be held.
11. Doors should be protected and should open along the direction of escape.
12. Doors should not open on the steps and sufficient space should be provided.
13. Smoke/Fire alarm systems must be installed.
14. Prior relationship with local Fire services should be established.
15. Proper exit sign and safety sign should be applied in appropriate areas of the
industry.
16. All the buildings of garment industries should have proper announcement system
as to how to get out of building.
Proper lighting: Proper lighting is very important factor for the worker to continue
the work safely and efficiently. Many times it has been seen that garments floor are
not properly illuminated but randomly lighted. This cause the extra pressure in eyes
and this impact to the production rate in the garments
Figure: This industry is not properly lighted for carrying out work
Ergonomic design in work station: Most of the garments in Dhaka city are not well
designed to carry out work also they have very few emergency exits and some time it
is completely absent in the workstation. This is because of scarcity of place in Dhaka.
Although there is government rule for garments designing but it is often violated.
Figure: special ergonomic designed sewing machine Figure: Generally used sewing machine
Page 17 of 19
Finger protection: A garments worker work most of the time in close contact of the
needle and other sharp object. So there is a great possibility of getting injured to hand
and fingers so workers need to furnished with finger protective equipment
Figure5: A garments worker working in a sewing machine without any figure protection.
Eye protection: Because much of garment work involves close viewing of the
garment, eye protection is critical. Garment workers can avoid eye injuries by using
proper shields on high speed sewing machinery or safety glasses where appropriate.
Also, adequate task lighting at individual work stations can prevent eye strain.
Figure: A worker is working in very close to sewing Figure: A sample googols that can
machine without using any eye protection prevent eye strain to the worker
Page 18 of 19
Figure6: Garments worker without any apron Figure: Garments worker with apron (square
garments industry Ltd.)
Conclusion: The garment industry of Bangladesh has been the key export division
and a main source of foreign exchange for the last 25 year & workers are the driving
force of it, so we should think about their safety to protect them from unexpected
accidents. The basic cause of industrial accident can be attributed to the unplanned
and unsystematic set up of factories. Most of the factories have been housed in a
clumsy condition which is very risky and hazardous working environment to workers.
References:
Page 19 of 19
1. http://www.statefundca.com/safety/safetymeeting/SafetyMeetingArticle.aspx?Arti
cleID=52
2. http://www.labour.gov.sk.ca/safety/publications/publications.htm
3. www.ifc.org/ifcext/sustainability.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/gui_EHSGuidelines200
7_GeneralEHS_1-8.htm
4. Fire Safety in garments industry: Design matters, The Daily Star, June 2010,Page
No. 13.
5. The Daily Star, June 2010, Page No. 13
6. Akij garments industry Ltd.
7. Fokira industry Ltd, Nariongong.