|
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has instructed 53 member factories to construct double stairs in their units to ensure protection of workers from fire incidents, sources said, reports BDNEWS.
The BGMEA, through a circular on March 4, asked the owners of these factories to comply with the instruction within 45 days. The Association issued the letter after inspecting fire safety preparation of its member-factories located in Dhaka and Chittagong.
"If they do not comply with the BGMEA instruction within the given time, we will consider actions against them," Tipu Munshi, president of the BGMEA, told the news agency.
The BGMEA fire safety section conducted the inspection during the last one month and found that the factories that have only one stair each for emergency exits are located in Dhaka.
A top BGMEA official said 43 of the 53 industrial units are in production while the remaining 10 remained shut for the last three years.
He said the BGMEA team identified 169 garment factories vulnerable to fire, which included the 53 factories with single stair for emergency exits.
The BGMEA has 4,200 members at present.
The Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) has also planned to launch a similar drive to ensure safety of workers. The Association has already instructed its nearly 1000 members to keep the exits of the factories open.
|