Improving Fire and General Building Safety

The USDOL-funded Improving Fire and General Building Safety in Bangladesh project aims to improve fire and building safety in the Ready Made Garment sector. ILO, working in close collaboration and coordination with relevant national and international stakeholders and partners is seeking to enhance national enforcement of relevant fire and general building safety laws and regulations consistent with international labour, fire and building standards and good practices. The project works in close collaboration with other ILO initiatives, especially the Improving Working Conditions in the Ready Made Garment Sector Programme.

Objectives

Fire Safety project carries out a wide range of activities with the following objectives:

• The overall Bangladesh fire and building safety regulatory framework is upgraded and necessary coordination mechanisms are in place and functioning
• Labour inspection procedures and tools for factory inspection are upgraded
• Capacities of inspectors from the Ministry of Labour and Employment and of other relevant entities to conduct building and fire safety inspections are strengthened
• Efficient and timely inspections are carried out by relevant Bangladeshi authorities
• A Building and Fire Safety data tracking system is available and functioning

Achievements

Achievements of the USDOL Fire Safety project to date include:

• Harmonization of core concrete strength values for structural safety assessment of the three initiatives of the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, and the national inspection initiative. Resulted in no further delays on review panel decisions
• Helped facilitate harmonized reporting format for the national database of inspection results
• Coordinated communication of inspection results from the three initiatives
• Facilitated institutional collaboration between Department of Inspections for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD)and Capital Development Authority (RAJUK)
• Facilitated drafting of harmonized protocol for Structural and Fire Remediation Work
• Enhanced capacity of 15 fire inspectors to act as master trainers for fire service regarding fire inspections of garment factories and warehouses
• 10-day training workshop for FSCD, DIFE, BGMEA, BKMEA and factory representatives on fire safety inspections and development of Emergency Action Plans