Experts of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh have identified less than 2% apparel factories vulnerable out of 760 they inspected in last one year period.
“Accord engineers have identified critical structural findings in 14 buildings and recommended for evacuation through the review panel,” said Rob Wayss, executive director of Accord Bangladesh operation at a press conference at a city hotel yesterday.
The vulnerable buildings are only 1.84% of the total inspected buildings.
Of the 14 buildings, 4 remained closed, 7 needs drastic removal of loading and the rest three trying to relocate, said Rob.
Among the inspected factories, 59 were found critical and deserve remediation, and could be compliant through corrective works.
Brad Loewen, chief safety inspector of the Accord, said: “The findings are typical and same to the previous one that included unsound electrical wiring, lack of automated smoke detectors and fire alarm systems.”
Other findings are the need for fire protected exits and fire doors; failure to have proper load management plans and, in some cases, the need to strengthen columns and other structural elements. He said high rise buildings need sprinkler system.
About payment of workers wage by the Accord or respective brand, Rob said some of the retailers are helping factory owners to pay workers’ wages while remediation works would take place. But the owners of the closed factory said they were not getting financial helps from the buyers or the Accord.
On Softex Cotton, a suspended factory by the Accord, Brad said: “We are working to find out a solution.”
The Accord, a plat form of over 180 brands and retailers, had committed to improve safety standard including fire, electrical and structural safety after the collapse of Rana Plaza, which killed 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500 last year.
Meanwhile, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety identified less than 1% factory as risky to workers safety as of yesterday.
The Alliance had inspected 601factories on the same ground and found 5 factories vulnerable as they recommended for closure through the review panel.
“We have identified five factories risky. One is closed and four running partially,” M Rabin, executive director of Alliance, told the Dhaka Tribune.
“The percentage of vulnerable factories in the world is about 4%, while Bangladesh has less than 2%. It’s a good news for the country’s RMG sector,” BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim told the Dhaka Tribune in an instant reaction. “It would help Bangladesh to attract more buyers to place more orders and build confidence on the clothing industry.”