Some 75 per cent of fires in the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) industry are electrical in nature, said a top official of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence Department (BFSCD). Quoting BFSCD Director General Brig Gen Ali Ahmed Khan, an ILO statement said, “Electrical short circuits are the main cause of fires in the RMG sector.” Mr Khan was speaking at the launching ceremony of a training programme held in the city on Saturday. This training will better equip the fire service to reduce this risk and ensure compliance with national codes and standards on building and worker safety, not only in the RMG sector but across all industries, he was quoted as saying. The new training programme launched aiming to build the electrical safety inspection capacity of Bangladesh fire service, labour inspectorate and industry organisations will help reduce the threat of fires in RMG factories. “This training is an important element of strengthening the regulators’ capacity to enforce laws and rules governing workplace safety,” the statement quoted ILO Country Director Srinivas Reddy as saying, It would also reinforce collaboration between fire service, DIFE and industry organisations to ensure harmonisation and a co-operative approach towards government inspection regimes, he said, adding that this additional capacity and collaboration should lead to safer workplaces and promote a culture of safety first. Under the programme, initially some 315 inspectors from BFSCD, Department of Inspections for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) will gain in-depth knowledge of electrical engineering considerations as they apply to fire safety. The training programme has been organised by the BFSCD with support from the International Labour Organization’s Fire and General Building Safety project funded by the US Department of Labour. Experts from Bureau Veritas will address the sessions to help raise awareness of potential electrical safety hazards, build understanding on the design of fire detection and alarm systems as well as provide a basic understanding of schematics. Taking place in nine batches until the end of October 2016, each three-day training session will comprise classroom work complemented by field visits allowing the trainees to put new skills into practice in a factory environment. As part of the programme, a core group of inspectors will also be trained as trainers in electrical safety.
