bangladesh fire safety action steps -...
TRANSCRIPT
BANGLADESH FIRE SAFETY
ACTION STEPS
MICRO AND MACRO LEVEL INITIATIVES
April 26, 2013
SAIF KHAN
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
Factory Level Initiatives Industry Level Initiatives
What’s already there
How To Do It Better
Any New Initiative
FACTORY LEVELINITIATIVES
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 standards2. Focused safety assessments
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
Improving Training
Current status • Worker training by factory management
Why not working • Ineffective training methods• High worker turnover• No training for supervisors and security guards
How to do it better • More effective visual training (touching videos, posters)• Training for security guards and supervisors
Action Steps 1. Facilitate wider coverage of training2. More effective videos on fire safety
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
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 committee2. Requiring Health & Safety Committee
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
Solving Root Cause: Electrical Safety
Current status • Not in focus. Very poor standards
Why not working • Cheap electrical equipment• Untrained electricians• Production pressure
How to do it better• Separate electrical assessments• Requiring trained electricians at factories
Action Steps 1. Require factories to arrange electrical assessment
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
Building/Construction Safety
Current status • Many brands do not have specific requirement • Unsafe shared facilities
Why not working• 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
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
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
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
Outlining Bangladesh Specific Standards
Visible Areas 1. Proper fire hydrant system2. Strong electrical layout3. Synchronized fire alarms4. Building-wide fire drills5. Industrial grade emergency doors6. Dedicated assembly points
Soft Standards 1. No separate staircases for male and female during evacuation2. No body check by security guard during emergencies3. No involvement of supervisors in emergency evacuation
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
INDUSTRY LEVELINITIATIVES
FLA Fire Safety Initiative
GIZ Fire Safety Alliance ETI Fire Safety Initiative
Industry Initiatives Mapping
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
WRAP Fire Safety Training
DIALOGUE WITH GOVERNMENT
Better roads to access factories1
Infrastructural Legal
Well equipped fire services department 2
Gradually moving all factories to industrial buildings3
Stringent fire clearance process1
Stronger building codes2
Reviewing workers compensation3
Compensation for Death $ 1280
Permanent Disability $ 1600
*Only around 20 months’ salary compared to China’s 20 years
Holistic Action Plan
Focused Audits
Effective Training
Worker Engagement Projects
Electric Safety Assessment
Building the Culture: Short Films
Joining Sector-wide Initiatives
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
5%
10%
10%
20%
15%
40%
2013 2012
2010 2006
Smart Garments Tazreen Fashion
Hameem KTS Textiles
86 Dead29 Dead
Garib & Garib
21 Dead
117 Dead7 DeadTarget: No More
2010
Saif Khan www.footprintscsr.com
2013 Building Collapse
200+ Dead
Fire Worker Safety
