Building, fire safety accord gets 150 signatories

The number of signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh has grown to 150, it said in a statement yesterday.
The businesses that have signed up to the Accord's legally-binding agreement include many household names, spanning the globe. The signatories are spread across 20 countries and are drawn from Europe, North America, Australasia and Asia.
Following a period of initial factory inspections, the Accord has now also appointed inspection companies to roll out an inspection programme to more than 1,700 factories in the coming months.
“We are delighted to have reached this milestone so soon. It shows the strength of commitment to the Accord's aims from a truly international spread of companies. We look forward to more companies joining the Accord,” said Alan Roberts, executive director of Bangladesh Accord for international operations.
“The Accord's extensive inspection programme will help eradicate dangerous workplaces for some of the world's most vulnerable workers.”