Sector insiders have identified an inordinate delay in reviewing the detailed engineering assessment (DEA) of selected apparel factories as one of the key roadblocks to carrying out their timely remediation. They have also held non-availability of relevant engineering firms coupled with absence of sufficient expertise in this field responsible for slowing down DEA process. Earlier, some 1266 factories out of assessed 3500 factories by the three initiatives have been asked to conduct DEA while only 109 reports were approved by the Accord and Alliance. On the other hand, a survey conducted by brands also identified the DEA review process as the ‘biggest remediation obstacle’, which was revealed in the Accord’s Steering Committee meeting, held in October in New York, US. Quoting Philip Chamberlain, a company signatory of the Accord, the meeting minutes mentioned that “the brands’ surveys revealed that the DEA review process was the biggest remediation obstacle.” The report, available on the Accord’s official website, also suggested that there is budget to hire consultants to support the DEA process. Till August, some 610 DEA reports by factories and brands have been submitted for the Accord’s approval. But only 70 DEA reports have been approved so far by the Chief Safety Inspector (CSI), according to the group’s latest aggregated report published in November. The Accord has asked to conduct DEA in some 840 garment factories, sources said. Acknowledging the DEA review a slow process, the report explained that the Accord’s primary focus has been on red and red/amber factories, and these do not experience major delays in review. DEA review of factories of less concern takes longer. The Accord has hired six new structural engineers recently to speed up the approval process, it added. When asked, Accord CSI Brad Loewen said, “DEAs are required to be prepared by professional structural engineers, registered in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, many of the DEAs, submitted to the Accord, are lacking in proper engineering techniques.” The Accord continues to work with the engineering consultants to ensure proper remediation of the structurally-weak buildings. It is unfortunate that so many buildings housing garment factories are in need of structural remediation, he noted. Some 226 factories have been asked to conduct DEA in line with the Corrective Action Plan (CAP), 147 submitted their reports, and 39 have so far been approved till date, Alliance managing director M Rabin confirmed. “The market capacity is extremely low compared to the requirement,” he told the FE. He also alleged that some factory owners, fearing poor findings, also made dilly-dallying in submitting DEA reports, resulting scrutiny by the review panel. The panel was formed for taking immediate decision of closure, if any building was found risky. More than 200 factories, assessed under the national initiative, were asked to conduct DEA. Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) has already appointed 13 firms in this regard. But it could not give any detail information on how many of them have so far submitted their reports. On the other hand, some of the factory owners alleged that both the Accord and the Alliance on various grounds did not approve the DEA reports and tagged additional issues to be addressed and asked for re-submission. Generally it takes two months to finalize a DEA report that also includes reports on structural and architectural designs of the buildings as well as on soil tests. When asked, BGMEA vice president Faruque Hassan also admitted that DEA is a time-consuming issue, and it also involves money. Md Hatem, former vice president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said some entrepreneurs complained that they were forced to conduct DEAs by the retailer groups’ nominated firms, creating so many difficulties. Some apparel makers alleged that the groups were also intentionally approving the reports slowly. “We welcome the groups and are retrofitting our units in line with their recommendations. But there is no scope for them to interfere or expand their activities beyond jurisdiction,” he noted.
