Last month’s fire at a building housing restaurants on Bailey Road and other recent incidents show again how enforcement, prevention and safety culture is needed to keep work and public places safe, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has said.
"These incidents illustrate the urgent need for both Bangladesh’s authorities and building owners to ensure strict adherence to safety regulations and the meticulous enforcement of building codes to keep workers safe," the UN agency said in a statement on Thursday.
The ILO said it was deeply saddened by the tragic loss of at least 46 lives at the Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road on February 29 and a gas cylinder fire in a residential area in Gazipur on Wednesday.
The UN labour agency extended its heartfelt condolences and solidarity to the families of the deceased and the injured, emphasizing the urgent need for improved safety measures, regulatory reforms and strict enforcement to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The Bailey Road fire, originating from a restaurant in Green Cozy Cottage, underscored the devastating consequences of lax oversight and inadequate safety measures in commercial buildings, the ILO added.
It continued: “The absence of fire exits, fire extinguishing systems and proper evacuation routes, despite prior warnings, has resulted in a staggering loss of life and injuries.
“This serves as a stark reminder that immediate action must be taken to address structural failures, close loopholes in building codes and prioritize the safety of people in and around buildings.
“Furthermore, this incident underscores the imperative for an efficient industrial and enterprise safety framework, along with a robust enforcement and training system, to guarantee a systematic approach to mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from all potential hazards.”
The ILO also called for enhanced collaboration and partnerships between government departments, employers, workers' representatives and civil society.
“The need for a well-coordinated effort to prioritize safety measures, implement comprehensive training programs and enforce regulations becomes evident, aiming not only at preventing such tragic incidents but also ensuring a resilient and secure environment for workers and the community at large.”
The ILO said it was actively collaborating with the government of Bangladesh and other stakeholders to have a fully coordinated industrial safety framework, ensuring the optimal functionality of industrial safety units across all sectors to strengthen safety inspections.
The agency said it would support Bangladesh in updating and implementing occupational safety and health (OSH) regulatory and policy frameworks and implementing the National Plan of Action on OSH.
By leveraging these efforts, the goal was to enhance safety standards across all sectors, ensuring a safer working environment for all workers in Bangladesh, it added.
“It is our hope that this tragic incident will lead to ownership from all stakeholders to approach the task of addressing safety deficiencies in workplaces across the country with renewed determination and urgency.”
