Many garment factories are yet to be equipped with safe exit facilities as required by western buyers and the government, leaving workers vulnerable to fire accidents, insiders have said. Inadequate exits were blamed for the casualties in the 2012 Tazreen Fashions fire that killed 112 workers, while leaving many injured. The collapsible gate of the Tazreen building was locked and the highest number of dead bodies (69) was recovered from this floor and supervisors on the second and third floors allegedly stopped the workers from evacuating the factory despite fire alarm. Following the incident, global buyers recommended installing fire protected doors instead of existing collapsible and lockable gates to keep the exit point open. Though three years have passed since the Tazreen tragedy, majority of the factories are yet to be equipped with such a safe exit. Accord, a platform of mostly European retailers and brands, recently expressed its dissatisfaction over the existence of collapsible and lockable gates in factories. Buildings without fire-proof exit stairs, including fire doors, which swing in the direction of exit travel are death traps, Accord said, adding it is critical that all exit paths are accessible at all times. “It is contrary to the Bangladesh National Building Code and all other international codes to have collapsible gates in exit paths,” Accord Chief Safety Inspector Brad Loewen said. “Unfortunately, over 90 per cent of factories inspected by the Accord had lockable collapsible gates in the exit paths, he said in an emailed response. Upon receiving the inspection reports, he said and added each factory agreed to immediately remove the collapsible gates, as seen in their corrective plans. This is very ‘disappointing’ because the lives of garment workers are being disregarded, he said, adding Accord issues warning letters in such cases, and if the gates are not immediately removed, the factory becomes ineligible suppliers for brands tied to Accord. A recent report by global labour rights groups revealed that 55.2 per cent out of 32 platinum factories that produce apparel products for Swedish retailer H&M still have sliding doors and collapsible gates and in just over 60 per cent of factories lack fire-preventive doors and staircases, although the deadline has passed. “The installation of fire-rated doors and enclosure of stairwells is perhaps the single most important step a factory can take to prevent workers from being killed in a fire,” the report noted. Responding to the FE’s query, H&M spokesperson Elin Hallerby admitted that buyers, including H&M, within the Accord are experiencing some delays. “Fire exits are one of the most fundamental requirements for a supplier in order to be allowed to produce for H&M. Furthermore, our own internal follow-up data shows that where H&M is lead-brand, almost 60 per cent of the remediation work is completed and we see good progress,” Hallerby added. Alliance, another retailers’ grouping from North America, said almost all its listed factories need fire doors and also expressed concern over the slow progress in remediation in line with the action plans. Inspector General of Department of Factories and Establishments (DIFE) admitted that its regular inspection found the existence of collapsible gate, but they are not kept locked during working hours. After the Tazreen fire, the labour and employment ministry warned of legal action against factories if they keep the exit points and staircases locked. “As the use of collapsible gate has become an ‘issue’ following few incidents, especially after the Tazreen fire, we also agree to remove such gate though it is important in terms of security,” Faruque Hassan, senior vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said. He also said manufacturers are now installing fire doors and majority of them have already put in such doors in places following the western retailers’ recommendation. He, however, said some could not install fire-protective systems as this requires time and money. Nazma Akter, president of Sammilito Garments Sramik Federation, said though garment factories still use collapsible gates, the tendency of keeping those locked during work hours has decreased to some extent. “But for the safety of workers, such gates must be removed as safety comes first,” she added.
