More than 50 per cent of the garment factories inspected by Accord still lack adequate fire detection and alarm system – one of the major life-threatening safety concerns, according to the platform’s latest progress report. Accord – the platform of EU-based global apparel brands, retailers and trade unions – inspected fire, electrical and structural integrity in some 1,600 garment factories and found inadequate fire detection and alarm system in some 1,311 units. Inadequate fire detection and alarm system still remains outstanding in some 668 units out of 1,311 till January 01 last, according to the quarterly aggregate report on remediation progress and status of workplace programmes at RMG factories released on Monday. Pressure is mounting on the government to allow the platform for three more years here in Bangladesh as its extended tenure ended in November 2018. The issue now remained under judicial consideration. The report showed that a total of 197 garment factories have so far completed all required safety related corrective measures identified in the initial inspection while 996 have fixed 90 per cent of the identified safety risks. Accord has terminated business relation with some 116 garment factories due to their failure in timely remediation, it added. It, however, reported a total of 89 per cent progress in fixing the safety flaws in its inspected factories. “The 2018 Transition Accord, which entered into effect on 01 June 2018, covers 1,688 RMG and textile factories of which 1,402 are active, 244 factories are ‘no-brand’ meaning that they were covered under the 2013 Accord but had not completed the initial remediation until 01 June 2018,” the report reads. According to the report, the findings of discrepancy with building plan and drawings remained outstanding in nearly 25 per cent factories. Some 37 factories out of 1,321 where lockable or collapsible gates found still remained outstanding, it said. A total of 1,152 complaints since 2014 to 2018 have been lodged at the platforms’ complaint mechanism and 319 were resolved while 156 are under investigation. The common issues included right to refuse unsafe work, participate in the work of their factory safety committee, right to file a complaint when they see a safety problem in their factory, to protection against reprisal for reporting safety-related matters and to freedom of association in relation to protecting their own safety.
