The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh will inspect 100 more garment factories as its signatories brands have provided a fresh list from which they source apparel products. “Factories from which signatory brands source products need to be inspected. Over the last couple of months, the brands have sent a list of over 100 factories that have been newly listed and we need to inspect,” Rob Wayss, executive director (Bangladesh Operations) of Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune. The new list of the RMG includes those factories, from which the Accord signatories brands source clothing products, said Rob. The inspection of new factories began a week ago, which would be completed by the middle of December, he said. In reply to a query whether some factories in the new list could have already been inspected by the Alliance or International Labour Organisation (ILO), he said: “I do think so. There are some factories in the new list which have already been inspected under the national action plan, but I do not have the exact number [of them].” Accord, the platform of 190 European retailers started its inspection of RMG factories last year and completed inspection to over 1,300 factories. It is supposed to inspect around 1,600 factories. During the inspection, the Accord found critical findings, which are threatening to workers safety, in more than 50 factories. Of the 50 factories 26 were closed while eight were partially closed as per the decision of the government’s review panel. Later on, 11 factories were allowed to resume production on condition of completion of necessary corrective measures. The outcries over safety issues began after the Rana Plaza factory disaster that killed over 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500 people on April 24, 2013. After the factory disaster, the Accord made a commitment to provide financial and technical support to improve fire and building safety standard of RMG factories, from which they source products.
