BGMEA launches fire training for workers

Labour Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, fifth from left, hands a compensation cheque to a victim of the fire tragedy at Tazreen Fashions, at the auditorium of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association in the capital yesterday. BGMEA President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin is also seen. Photo: BGMEA

Safety issues in factories have become a major concern for international garment buyers, said an official of a US retail giant at the launch of a fire training programme for workers in Dhaka yesterday.
Bangladesh is a lucrative destination for international buyers who outsource for renowned global brands, said Jenefa Jabbar, regional social responsibilities director of JC Penney Purchasing Corporation, a garment sourcing company.
Referring to the faulty construction of the Tazreen Fashions building, where more than 110 workers died in a devastating fire last month, Jenefa said every licensing authority should play their due role while giving licences to the factory owners.
She was speaking on behalf of a buyers' forum at the launch of the fire safety training organised by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on its premises.
Labour and Employment Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju inaugurated the programme.
Under the programme, basic training on fire detection and prevention will be given to the mid-level employees of 3,400 garment factories in Dhaka and Chittagong.
After the training, the mid-level employees such as production managers, assistant production managers, line managers and factory managers will teach the grassroots workers how to fight fire.
The BGMEA and the Fire Service and Civil Defence will conduct the training for around six months.
The labour minister said, "The fire incident in Tazreen Fashions was an eye opener for us and for the nation.”
The garment factories were built in an unplanned manner, he said, adding: “Now time has come to set up and equip every garment factory in a planned way.”
The labour and employment ministry will soon inspect the garment factories to check whether they comply with safety standards, he added.
Architect Mubashir Hasan said ignorance of the law is not an excuse. “The owners will have to decide whether they will make their factories compliant,” he said.
Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said there are two sides in the safety issue -- structural safety that is related with building construction, and non-structural safety, which is about training, awareness, discipline and communication.
“In the last three days we have visited 232 garment factories in Ashulia, and from this Thursday we will start another inspection programme,” he said.
He said the number of fire incidents in the garment industry is decreasing.
“Only 95 fire incidents took place in the garment industry so far this year, which was 175 in 2011, 220 in 2010 and 292 in 2009,” he said.
But, he said, the fire at the Tazreen Fashions was the deadliest one.
Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar, BGMEA President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin and labour leader Lima Ferdous also spoke.