A European-led retailers’ group is conducting an impact assessment on 200 ‘vulnerable’ garment factories with which it does business after tremor hit the country, people familiar with the situation said.The earthquake, which struck Nepal Saturday, also affected Bangladesh, with a series of tremors being felt in Dhaka as elsewhere in the country.The Accord assessment is aimed at determining if the factories that are producing garment items for its affiliated companies have been structurally affected by the quake.”All 11 Accord structural engineers are in the field doing immediate impact inspections at approximately 200 factories, deemed structurally most vulnerable from our initial inspections,” executive director of Accord Rob Wayss told the FE.The engineers are utilising an internationally recognised inspection protocol selected by its Chief Safety Inspector for the immediate inspections, he added.The Accord will integrate additional new safety hazards with the Corrective Action Plan for the factory and do the corresponding support and verification work, Mr Wayss noted.He said his organisation has requested the factories, which underwent inspection by the Accord to determine if the earthquake has caused any structural damage to the buildings.The Accord has formally communicated to the owners of inspected factories, requesting them to report the impact of the earthquake on their building and on any precautionary measures or investigations they have done since. The Accord, through 14 IndustriAll-linked trade unions in the country, continues to tell the workers to refuse dangerous work, he said.He added that they have also communicated with the trade unions and also with its signatory companies to inform the Accord regarding any concern they received from workers and any of its case handlers.
Source: https://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/04/29/90706
