The Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF) and International Labour Organization (ILO) have signed an agreement to enhance occupational safety and health (OSH) in the Bangladesh readymade garment (RMG) industry.
The agreement marks the beginning of the second phase of a two-year plan supported by ILO’s improving working conditions in the RMG sector project funded by Canada, the Netherlands and the UK that will see some 750,000 to 800,000 workers gain practical skills on how to reduce workplace accidents, the ILO said in a statement.
Speaking on the occasion, ILO Bangladesh country director, Srinivas Reddy said, “It is vital that a culture of occupational health and safety is built throughout the Bangladesh RMG sector. By working closely with the Bangladesh Employers Federation we will be able to build capacity at all levels that will benefit workers and employers alike.”
Tapan Chowdhury, president of BEF said, “As employers we are working closely with our partners to make workplace safety the number one priority. OSH is everyone’s responsibility and through our joint efforts a large number of managers, supervisors and workers will gain a good understanding about safety issues.”
A first phase of the ILO-BEF collaboration saw the formation of a team of 114 master OSH trainers. During the second phase, the master trainers will head out to 400 RMG factories and train 7,500 to 8,000 midlevel and line supervisors who in turn will pass on OSH knowledge to 750,000 to 800,000 workers. By doing so they will help create a culture of workplace safety and implement practical measures to reduce the risk of accidents.
Master trainers have been selected by the BEF, Bangladesh garment manufacturers and exporters association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh knitwear exporters association (BKMEA).
