Garment factory fire prompts calls for better safety norms

Fibre2fashion also spoke to an eminent and top fire brigade official in India. When asked for the main reasons, which causes fires in garment units, Mr MF Dastoor, who heads the Fire brigade service in Ahmedabad – India, which was also called the ‘Manchester of the East’ in its heydays said, “Fires take place in garment units mainly for two reasons. First is an electric short circuit and the second can be oil soaked rags”.

He explained, “Rags which are used to clean oil stains are highly inflammable. Rags soaked in oil generate hot temperatures, out of which heat dissipates. But when these oil-soaked rags are heaped over each other, there is no place for the heat to dissipate. So the temperature keeps on increasing till it attains auto-ignition temperature, which then burst in to flames”.

In conclusion he said, “The only way to prevent is adopting good housing habits. The rags soaked in oil, should be disposed off on a daily basis. Secondly, all electrical wiring should be done properly and loose ends should not be left. I would even recommend a regular inspection of the wiring”. 

“The labour and factory laws are not applied effectively. The factory laws implicitly states that there should be at least two separate stairways either inside or outside the building, which provides direct access to ground level. But these are never enforced. The government has to ensure that laws are followed by the garment factories”, lamented Kalpona Akter.

On the ways to eliminate these types of incidents, Anannya said, “The AFW Alliance demands that brands immediately sign up with the sector-wide program that Clean Clothes Campaign together with local and global unions and labour rights organisations has initiated.

“It includes a program of independent and transparent inspections, an obligatory upgrading of the buildings supplying participating brands, a review of all existing laws and safety regulations, a commitment to pay prices that can cover the costs involved and direct involvement of trade unions in worker training on health and safety”, she concluded by saying.

Reacting to the news, International Apparel Federation (IAF) President Harry van Dalfsen said, "Many companies in the apparel chain have made huge improvements in social compliance and sustainability by training, educating and monitoring suppliers in order to meet national and/or local government regulations. Nevertheless, this tragedy, and the recent one in Pakistan, showed that extra steps have to be taken to improve the working conditions for workers in the industry".

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India