Book Review: Social Accountability by Rajesh Chhabara

10 May '07

5 min read

Thirty two chapters are arranged around issues related to labor and wage compliance and environmental, health and safety compliance.

For example, there is a whole chapter devoted to boiler safety compliance with a list of common operating hazards and preventive measures. A detailed chapter on Ergonomics provides useful practical insight into an otherwise neglected aspect of health and safety in supply chain factories in Asia.

There are detailed descriptions of what is expected in all the major health and safety areas from eyewash and shower stations to toilets. Though the bulk of the book covers HSE compliance there are good sections on social compliance issues, including overtime, coercion and freedom of association.

For each component of the Model Code, Chhabara lists the most common violations found among suppliers. Identifying these common violations will help suppliers to prioritize their compliance efforts. This can be invaluable to suppliers and their compliance officers when faced with a wide array of different codes, each making complex compliance demands.

Each chapter also includes a brief section on Best Practices. The real challenge for factories is building enterprise-wide, comprehensive management systems and processes that will deliver sustainable compliance.

It is worth noting the growing evidence that best practices in compliance deliver real returns to the bottom line in the form of improved efficiencies, better management information systems, higher productivity and reduced labor turnover.

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