The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is emphasising on ‘Essential of Occupational Health and Safety’ (EOHS) to ensure a healthy and safe environment in all the workplaces throughout Bangladesh – particularly for workers in the export-based readymade garment (RMG) sector. In order to achieve this goal, the ILO will work in close collaboration with the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF), the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA). The country’s RMG sector is experiencing a transition from poor compliance to international standards. Besides, the international buyers and retailers of Bangladeshi RMG products insist that individual units or factories must provide the workers with maximum safety. The ILO has called for effective measures in the RMG factories – removal of dangerous substances, compulsory distribution and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), maintenance of electrical and fire safety. PREVENTIVE MEASURES: Personal protective equipment (PPE) can be an excellent solution to minimise risks if working with certain substances is unavoidable and any other control measures have been exhausted or are impractical. PPE is used as a last resort (first technical measure and collective means of protection). Employer is responsible for providing and maintaining PPEs according to the Labour Law 2006, section 78(a). Employer must select the correct PPE in relation to risk, ensure its correct use, provide adequate information and instruction, training, maintenance, cleaning, decontamination, inspection repair and replacement of PPE. Eye protection can be ensured by not resting glasses on lenses, cleaning under running water and rubbing it with a soft cloth. It needs to be replaced in the event of damage, wear and tear. Safety glasses are to be made by tempered glass or synthetic material and non-flammable material. Hearing protection has to be provided when working in an environment with harmful noise. Caution: hearing damage is permanent and irreversible. Provide a limited protection, maximum attenuation from 5 to 15db. Ear muffs – Noises level as of 80 dB can cause hearing loss. At these level employer should inform employees, provide suitable hearing protection, instruct employees and give the opportunity to employees to get a hearing check during the mandatory health checks. Noises level as of 85 db requires taking noise reduction measures and ensuring employees wear hearing protection. Respiratory protection must be used in case of lack of oxygen and when limit values are exceeded. Safety helmet protects the head adequately against falling materials or impact. Electricity has its dangers and is often the cause of accidents, even fatal ones. Accidents involving electricity are generally caused by faulty and substandard machines, by damaged or poorly installed cables or by involuntary contact with live components. The consequences of an accident can be either electrocution or explosion. The safest approach obviously consists of no work on a live installation, but unfortunately that isn’t always possible. However, the risks can be minimised if you take the necessary measures for the electrical installation on one hand, and for the electrical equipment on the other – such as a physical screen and insulation. Only qualified personnel are allowed to work on electrical installations. Falling, slipping and tripping are more common events which often escape attention even though they can cause serious injury. Stumbling, falling and slipping risks follow uneven or slippery floor, cables, materials or tools left lying about, smooth shoe soles, wet or polished floors. Do not run in corridors or on stairs, be careful not to get caught behind an edge. First eliminate the danger, and if it is not possible indicate the danger so that people will be careful. The best prevention is to avoid accidents at the source. This is possible by taking into account the user-friendliness in the design of a building (good lighting, appropriated floors). Maintenance is also important. Buildings and premises require good housekeeping to limit the risk of falling, stumbling and slipping. If it is not possible to eliminate the danger, it is necessary to provide a physical barrier and to verify that the dangers are well identified. Good marking should be clearly recognizable and visible for everyone. Stairs often cause falls and preventive measures to be taken facing the stairs, trying to transport loads with a hoist, stairs need a safety rail and steps need to be all the same size. Points of attention: not to run, not step on to an obstacle, keep the workplace tidy and clean. Ergonomics is the science that focuses on how equipment, environment, etc. can be adapted to optimise work efficiency. A constant interaction exists between man and work. Man influences machines or material during his work, however, he is also influenced by environmental factors, human factors and mental strain. Sufficient lighting improves concentration. The amount of required light depends on the type of work and the work space. Too high sound level can cause nausea, headaches or even gastric and bowel complaints. Furthermore, it can be a hazard to communication. Exposure to hand-arm vibrations or body vibrations can also be stressful. It is important to aim at an ideal climate, not too hot and not too cold. In addition to temperature, radiant heat, humidity and air speed also affect climatic conditions. Moreover, static strain is caused by the continual tensing of the body. Possible effects are restricting the flow of blood resulting in numbness in certain body parts, chronic fatigue, muscle ache and cramps. Dynamic strain is caused by moving the muscles which alternately tense up and relax. Possible effects – fatigue, muscle ache, damaged heart and blood vessels, damage and wearing of the joints. Mental strain depends on various factors like work pressure, the ratio between the task and the capacity of the worker, atmosphere, organisation, infrastructure, surrounding noise, etc. Stress causes loss of concentration, depression, fatigue, nervousness and errors. can lead to a complete burn-out, aggression and violence, bullying and sexual harassment. It is a good idea for employers to minimise such undesirable conduct to ensure teams work harmoniously and efficiently in the interests of company productivity. Breaks enable the muscles to recover and the blood circulation to calm down. Humidity between 40 and 60 per cent is recommended. In summer, the air speed should not be higher than 0.25 m/s and during winter not higher than 0.15 m/s. Comfort levels are between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius. Work and break times must be adjusted, drink sufficiently and possibly wear appropriate clothing. Training in lifting techniques, implementing as many aids as possible to lift and move heavy loads and distributing lifting work to various workers. Fire is a chemical reaction requiring three components: fuel, oxygen and an ignition source (fire triangle). If any one of these three components is missing, a fire cannot start! A fuel is a substance that can burn. A fire does not always break out when the three components of the fire triangle are present, because the ratio of the components has to be right for a fire to start. Temperature is an important factor in the outbreak of fire. In order to close the fire triangle and therefore create a genuine fire risk, the ratio between the flammable substance and the oxygen in the air must also be right. The risk disappears if the ratio is either too high or too low. Several types of extinguishing agents can be used to put out a fire depending on the nature and the size of the blaze. In respective departments, workers need to know how to put out a fire safely with water being still the most frequently used extinguishing agent. It is very efficient to extinguish fires involving solids. Water can also freeze. Sand isolates the fire from the oxygen it requires. It is ideal for instance to put out liquid fires. Dry sand is used to extinguish metal fires. Foam is used to extinguish dry fires and is very effective for putting out a pool of burning liquid. CO2 is ideally suited to fires in or near live electrical equipment. The CO2 evacuates the available oxygen, which obviously has a suffocating effect. Fire blanket is ideal when, for instance, putting out clothes or a burning chip pan. Fire hydrant is a valve installed above or below ground that is connected to the water mains and that can be used to put out a fire with water. Fire hose reel is a drum supporting a rolled-up fire hose that’s connected to the water mains. This fire hose is only suited for extinguishing solid fuel fires. What is to be done in case of fire in the workplace? All kinds of fire equipment need to be stored at designated points inside a factory. In case of fire, the important thing is to act quickly and start by saving ourselves along with alerting the emergency services or the person in charge or push the alarm button. Then it is better to try remaining calm and to avoid panic so that everyone can get out safely. Nobody should use the elevator. Instead, stairs should be used. In case of burns – water is the primary requirement. After that, we should cool the burned body part under cold running water for at least 15 minutes. Clothing that is stuck to the burn should be left in place until the emergency services arrive. Finally, the ILO believes that EOHS will benefit any business, help demonstrate that a business is socially responsible and is keen to protect and enhance the brand image and value. Better work environment can enhance productivity and profitability. These also help maximise productivity of workers, enhance employees’ commitment to the business, build a more competent and healthier workforce, reduce business costs and disruption, enable enterprises to meet customers’ expectations, and encourage the workforce to stay longer in active life. The writer is assistant deputy secretary of BKMEA and a senior master-trainer for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) at the International Training Centre of International Labour Organization (ITC-ILO) in Turin, Italy.
