THE RSC

HANDBOOK
FOR SAFETY
COMMITTEES

www.rsc-bd.org
 THE RSC
HANDBOOK
FOR SAFETY COMMITTEES
RMG SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL (RSC)

Level 13, AJ Heights,

Cha 72/1/d, Pragati Sarani
North Badda, Dhaka 1212
Bangladesh

Tel +880 2 41081863

+880 2 41081864
+880 2 41081865
+880 2 41081866

contact@rsc-bd.org
www.rsc-bd.org
 Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................4
Outline of the book and its purpose...............................................................................4
The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC)...........................................................................4

Chapter 1 The Fundamentals of a Good Safety Committee...........................9

Key Principles of Health and Safety at Work.............................................................10
Five Elements of a Good Safety Programme..............................................................11
What Makes a Good Safety Committee?......................................................................13

Chapter 2 The Safety Committee and the RSC:

Working Together to Reduce Hazards in RMG Factories....................17
The RSC Inspections Process..........................................................................................18
Inspection Reports and Corrective Action Plans......................................................18
The Safety Committee’s Role in Remediating Safety Problems...........................19

Chapter 3 Dealing with Safety and Health Complaints.................................21

Establishing your Safety Committee’s Complaint Process...................................22
Educating Workers about the Safety Complaint Process......................................23
When the Safety Committee Cannot Resolve a Safety Complaint......................24
The OSH Safety Complaint Process operated by the RSC......................................24

Chapter 4 Hazard Identification and Hazard Control....................................27

Common Safety and Health Hazards in RMG Factories.........................................29
Hazard Controls..................................................................................................................32
The Safety Committee’s Role in Improving Hazard Control..................................34

Chapter 5 Communication and Problem Solving...........................................37

Communication...................................................................................................................38
Problem solving..................................................................................................................39
The Joint Problem Solving Approach...........................................................................39

Chapter 6 Establishing Safety Monitoring Systems in your Factory........43

Monitoring Fire Safety......................................................................................................45
Monitoring Electrical Safety...........................................................................................49
Monitoring Emergency Evacuation Procedures........................................................51
Monitoring Machine Safety..............................................................................................54
Monitoring Personal Protective Equipment Use......................................................58
Monitoring Workplace Inspections...............................................................................60

Chapter 7 The Sustainable Safety Committee................................................69

Resources..............................................................................................................................71

Appendices...........................................................................................74
1. RSC Inspections...............................................................................................................74
2. Sample Corrective Action Plan (CAP).....................................................................75
3. Hazard Control Pyramid...............................................................................................76
4. Workplace Inspection Guide.......................................................................................77
5. Machine Safety Guide...................................................................................................82
6. Fire Safety Guide............................................................................................................85
7. Electrical Safety Checklist..........................................................................................94
8. Emergency Action Plan Checklist............................................................................95

03
 Introduction

Handbook for Safety Committees

This handbook aims to support joint worker-management Safety Committees to
effectively contribute to workplace safety at covered / listed garment factories in
Bangladesh. The handbook is distributed to Safety Committees at covered factories
being supported and trained by the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), but can be of
use for any factory Safety Committee in the Ready-Made-Garment and related
industries in Bangladesh. The book is based on the training curriculum that Safety
Committees at factories supplying RSC Participating Companies receive.
Factory-level Safety Committees are an essential part of any factory’s health and
safety programme. In order for a Safety Committee to be effective, both the worker
and management representatives on the Safety Committees must be aware of their
roles and responsibilities to identify, prevent and address safety concerns at the
factory on an ongoing basis. Safety Committee members can use this handbook as a
reference to help them perform this function.

This handbook and the training sessions that the book is based on are
designed to strengthen Safety Committees in every covered RMG (and
related industries) factory by showing:
how Safety Committees can help identify and reduce hazards at
work;
how Safety Committees can communicate with workers about their
rights regarding a safe workplace;
how Safety Committees can develop safety monitoring systems to
keep their factory safe;
how Safety Committee members can investigate and resolve safety
complaints raised by workers;
how Safety Committees can do all of the above in a cooperative and
collaborative way, since workplace safety requires the work
and attention of both workers and management.

The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC)

The RSC is a newly established organisation (May 2020), governed by representatives
of global brands, global and national trade unions, and the Bangladesh garment
manufacturers associations. As of 1st June 2020, the RSC continues the operations
established by the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. The RSC is
implementing the Safety Committee and Safety training activities and is providing
ongoing support for Safety Committees at covered factories. The RSC is also
conducting safety inspections and monitoring remediation at covered exporting
garment factories, and is providing an independent safety and health complaints
mechanism for workers and their representatives.

04
 The RSC protects workers’ rights to:
Refuse work they believe to be unsafe
Participate in the work of their factory Safety Committee
File a complaint with the RSC when they see a safety problem in
their factory
Protection against reprisal for reporting safety-related matters
Freedom of Association in relation to protecting their own safety. This
means that workers have the right to be involved in making their
workplace safe and healthy, individually as well as collectively through
a trade union, and can do so without retaliation or discrimination.

The inspection and remediation programme implemented by the RSC focuses on fire,
electrical, structural, and boiler safety inspections at covered factories, and working
with these factories and brands to remediate the identified safety hazards.

The workplace programme implemented by the RSC focuses on making workers at

covered factories aware of safety hazards and how to respond to them, their rights
to a safe workplace and involving workers in the efforts to make factories safe. The
key elements of the workplace programme include i) training joint worker-management
Safety Committees in all covered factories; ii) holding informational sessions for all
workers in the covered factories on health and safety rights and iii) providing workers at
covered factories with an independent complaints mechanism for raising health and
safety issues without fear of reprisal.

1 Boiler safety is being integrated in the RSC’s programmes. All covered factories will
receive boiler safety inspections and all Safety Committees at covered factories will
receive training on how to monitor and support boiler safety.

05
 How the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) works to make
garment and textile factories in Bangladesh safe.
Accord Signatory Companies disclose all RMG supplier factories to the Accord

INSPECTIONS & SAFETY Key features of remediated factories

Structural safety: Structural remediation completed
REMEDIATION: and load management in place

Independent Electrical safety: Proper electrical distribution

factory system and efficient maintenance
inspections:
Regular follow-up Fire safety: Compliant fire protection & detection
structural, Engineers Factories and systems, and safe exits
electrical, fire and produce inspections to
brands develop
boiler safety* inspection monitor and verify *Boiler Safety: Compliant and adequately maintained
Corrective
reports safety remediation boilers
Action Plan(s)
progress

SAFETY COMMITTEE AND SAFETY TRAINING: Functional Safety

Committees and
informed workers
who address and
monitor safety at
the factory
Training sessions(8) Walk-throughs (3) All Employee Meetings (3)
with joint labour- of the factory to to inform all workers of
management Safety identify actual or workplace safety, safe
Committees potential safety evacuation, and their
hazards rights to a safe workplace

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH

COMPLAINTS MECHANISM:
Workers and worker representatives
at RSC covered factories
can raise concerns about
health and safety risks safely Trusted avenue
and confidentially through the OSH Workers/worker representatives The complaint Resolution of complaint, for workers to raise
complaints mechanism operated file a safety complaint is investigated communicated to all safety concerns and
by the RSC. workers in the factory workers protected
from reprisals

*Boiler safety is being integrated in the RSC’s inspection and remediation programmes. Factories producing for Accord signatory companies
will also receive inspections for boiler safety, in addition to structural, electrical, fire and life safety.
Notes

08
Chapter 1 The Fundamentals of a
Good Safety Committee

09
 An effective Safety Committee can make an enormous contribution toward ensuring a
safe and healthy workplace. In fact, it is hard to see how a workplace can be safe and
healthy without the work of a Safety Committee that regularly inspects working
conditions and regularly deals with the many safety and health issues that arise at
any workplace.

Before looking at the keys to creating an effective Safety Committee, let’s look at some
basic principles of health and safety at work in general. These principles form the
basis for creating and sustaining a good Safety Committee.

KEY PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK

There are several principles – basic values – to keep in mind about workplace health
and safety. Here are the most important basic principles.

The main responsibility for providing a safe

and healthy workplace belongs to the
Employer. Employees also have responsibilities
– to work safely, follow safety rules - but the
basic responsibility for making sure the
workplace is safe is an Employer responsibility.

Employees should be involved in all

aspects of the safety programme. The
programme will always be more effective when
employees have a voice in setting policies and
maintaining safety.

Employees should be able to raise safety

The joint Safety Committee, comprised
of both workers and managers is itself
an example of employee involvement.
issues and problems without fear of
punishment. If employees are afraid to bring
problems to management because they may be
punished in some way, no safety programme can
be effective. Almost all safety or health hazards
in a factory will be noticed by workers first. If
they are discouraged from bringing these hazards
to management for resolution, the hazards will
not be dealt with.

Employers should implement the most effective methods of hazard

control available. There are many ways to reduce hazards at a workplace.
Employers and Safety Committees should investigate and determine the most
effective method available, and use that method whenever possible.

There should be regular communication between management and

workers about safety and health issues. This communication may take many
forms – training sessions, Safety Committee meetings, and notices posted on bulletin
boards are some examples. What’s important is that communication and activities
concerning safety should be frequent and regular so that safety issues don’t get lost
among the many other issues – like production or wage concerns - that workers and
managers care about in any factory.

With those principles as guidance, let’s look at five important parts of any workplace
health and safety programme.

10
 FIVE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD SAFETY PROGRAMME
This list could easily be longer, but any good workplace safety programme needs
to include at least these five characteristics:

1. Management Commitment
Management should be visibly committed to
safety so that workers take safety seriously.
Management can show commitment by its
involvement in a Safety Committee and by
spending time and money on safety – as in
providing good safety training for employees
and good protective equipment. Management
commitment can also be shown through clearly
stated safety and health policies and rules that
management enforces.

It is the management’s responsibility to
provide a safe and healthy workplace.
2. Employee Involvement
A safety programme that involves employees is
likely to be more successful in reducing
hazards and keeping workplaces safe. The
Safety Committee offers one way for employees
to be involved. It’s also important that
employees are encouraged to report safety and
health problems when they find them, since they
are the most likely to be aware of such problems.
And employees need to be responsible for
following safety rules and policies.

3. Workplace Analysis
Regular workplace inspections are an important
part of a safety programme. Inspections should
be regularly scheduled, and conducted by the
Safety Committee
with input from workers in various parts of
the factory. Inspections are the best way to
spot hazards before accidents or injuries.

4. Hazard Identification and Control

Hazards can be identified through inspections,
or when workers raise safety and health
issues. Once identified, determining the best
method of control is key. The best method of
control is the method that most effectively
reduces or eliminates the hazard.

5. Safety Training
Safety training includes training managers and
workers about the factory’s Safety and Health
policies, and training managers
Training is absolutely necessary
about their role in enforcing those policies.
for any safety programme
It includes training employees about any
dangers or hazards associated with their work,
and training them how to do their jobs safely.

11
 All workers
must know
where the exits
are. The exit
doors must
be unlocked
and free of
obstacles.

Fire drills allow

you to see if a
safe and orderly
evacuation is
possible.

Safety training also includes regular drills, like fire and evacuation drills. And it
should include training for the Safety Committee so that it can do its work
effectively. A factory that offers various kinds of safety training regularly shows
a commitment to safety and is much more likely to be a safe workplace.

Now that we have looked at some general principles and general elements of
safety at work, let’s look directly at what is needed for a good and effective
Safety Committee.

12
 WHAT MAKES A GOOD SAFETY COMMITTEE?
First of all, a good Committee needs to be a ‘Joint’ Committee. That means that
both workers and managers sit on the Committee in equal numbers. This is important
to show the shared responsibility that management and workers have in creating and
maintaining a safe workplace, and makes workers more likely to take any safety
issues more seriously.

A good Safety Committee has a clear purpose, and everyone – that means the
members of the Committee, as well as workers and managers in the factory – should
know and understand this purpose. The purpose of any Safety Committee is usually
pretty clear – to make sure the workplace is a safe and healthy place to work.

A Safety Committee may want to expand that idea of its purpose, and include such
things as employee involvement and management commitment, but it’s always a
good idea to keep the purpose basic and easy to understand. There are lots of things
the Safety Committee may do, but all those activities should aim to achieve its main
purpose – creating and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.

A good Safety Committee meets regularly.

The law requires a Safety Committee to meet at
least once every three months, but a good
Safety Committee will meet more often if
necessary. It is important that Safety
Committee meetings are regular. If a
Committee meets every two months, it is best if
it’s always on the same day – the third
Wednesday of every other month, at 10:00 for
instance. That way all Committee members can
plan for such meetings and come prepared.

In a good Safety Committee, all Committee

members have a role to play. The co-chairs
will lead the meetings, the secretary will
prepare agendas and minutes, but all members
can help by suggesting items for discussion,
bringing problems to the attention of the
Committee, and seeking input from workers
prior to Committee meetings.

A good Safety Committee keeps records of

Everyone in the factory should understand
the purpose of the Safety Committee.
its meetings and activities, and follows up
on problems. When a safety issue gets
discussed in a Safety Committee meeting, the
Committee needs to be sure that
appropriate steps are taken to fix the problem,
and that the solution is reported to workers.

13
 If the Safety
Committee works
well, workers will
soon learn that the
best way to solve
workplace safety
problems is to
contact the Safety
Committee.

One key activity of any good Safety Committee is receiving and resolving
workplace safety problems. This may be the most helpful thing the
Committee does.

A good Safety Committee conducts regular workplace inspections. Workplace

inspections are a good way to spot problems that need fixing, and a good way to
show workers that the Safety Committee is active.

No matter how good a Safety Committee is, workplace accidents and injuries will
occur. A good Safety Committee takes the time to investigate workplace
accidents to determine how they can be prevented in the future.

A good Safety Committee communicates. To workers, it may communicate

about safety policies and safe work practices. To managers it may communicate
about problems that need fixing. Communication is important if the safety
Committee wants to be seen as a real and serious Committee working to make
the workplace safe.

14
 An effective Safety Committee is the best way to ensure
safe and healthy workplaces. And good Committee
What makes a GOOD members are what make a Committee effective.
Safety Committee Member? So, what makes a good Safety Committee member?

Both Worker & Management A Worker Representative A Management Representative

Representatives need:
a willingness to learn more about
workplace safety and health.
an alertness in identifying safety
and health problems and a
commitment to finding solutions
to those problems.
a belief in constructive worker-
management relationships.
a willingness to participate fully
in meetings and activities.
needs:
a sympathetic attitude to
problems faced by workers.
enthusiasm to encourage workers
to get involved in safety & health
issues.
a willingness to speak up for
workers’ concerns.
an ability to work with
management to find solutions
to problems.
needs:
the trust of other managers to
implement needed safety &
health policies.
a willingness to listen to worker
problems and work to find
solutions to those problems.
trust in a joint labour-management
approach to problem solving.
a willingness to be an example to
other managers in collaboration.

an ability to listen carefully and the trust and confidence of authority to implement safety &
consider different points of view. fellow workers. health policies.

Composition of Safety Committees

NOTE: The following guidelines are RSC
guidelines for Safety Committees formed
in RSC-covered factories, taking into
account the Government of
Bangladesh’s recently published BLA
rules on composition of Safety
Committees.
In order to create an effective Safety Committee, the RSC strongly encourages
every factory to establish a committee that is an accurate reflection of the
factory’s overall workforce in terms of gender, work areas, and kinds of jobs, with
attention paid to particularly hazardous jobs or work areas of the factory.
In addition to this general recommendation, the RSC and the Government of
Bangladesh require:

An equal number of Management and Worker representatives

Committees shall have between 6 and 12 total members, as follows:

50 – 500 employees 6 total members

501 – 1000 employees 8 total members
1001 – 3000 employees 10 total members
3001 or more employees 12 total members

The worker representatives should be from different departments and areas

of the factory, and the management representatives should include managers
from different functional areas, including managers with safety and health
responsibilities.

Safety Committees should reflect the gender composition of the workforce.

In factories where women comprise one third or more of the workforce, at least
one third of the worker representatives shall be women.
Notes

16
 The Safety Committee
and the RSC:
Chapter 2 Working Together to Reduce
Hazards in RMG Factories

17
 THE RSC INSPECTIONS PROCESS
One of the key activities of any Safety Committee is to reduce safety and health hazards in
the workplace. For RMG factories that are covered by the RSC, this work can be done in
conjunction with RSC inspections of factories, using the inspection reports and corrective
action plans (CAPs), prepared by the RSC .

Before looking at Safety Committee activities, let’s look at how the RSC inspection process
works and what reports the RSC creates that can be helpful to the Safety Committee.
The RSC conducts four types of inspections in all covered factories: for structural, fire,
electrical, and boiler safety. Boiler safety is being integrated in the RSC’s inspection and
remediation programmes, and covered factories will receive boiler safety inspections, in
addition to fire, electrical, and structural inspections. Each inspection is conducted by RSC
engineers. Safety Committee members (the co-Chairs) accompany the engineers during
these on-site inspections. The inspections are thorough and include reviews of factory
records as well as a walk- through inspection.

INSPECTION REPORTS AND CORRECTIVE ACTION PLANS

After every inspection, the RSC will create an Inspection Report that includes any safety
hazards found during the inspection. This report is shared with the factory management,
the Brands, and the union if there is one.

After the initial inspections for fire, electrical and structural safety, the factory management,
the brands sourcing from the factory and the RSC will develop a Corrective Action Plan (CAP)
that spells out specific actions management needs to take to fix any problems found, and
lays out a timeline for them to follow in doing these corrective actions.

The Inspection Reports and Corrective Action Plans are great tools for the Safety Committee
to use as it works to ensure that safety problems get fixed. Even in a factory that does not
receive RSC inspections, there will always be reports in some format from inspections that
a Safety Committee can use.

Progress Status Pictorial Evidence

Factory Timeline Final Action Plan ( On the date of
Inspection Time After
Inspection Comments ( ( Approved (Factory) inspection )
Inspection Inspection Action Plan line Physical Inspection ) timeline )
Item
Observation ( Recommendation ) ( given in report )
No

New Finding: Power cables entering

Power cables or exiting from motor
must be fixed by using Completed Corrected
entering or On 16/06/2021: 04-Dec-2020
proper sized cable 1 Month Corrected.
15 exiting fromor glands (metal/PVC).
electric mot
are not
properly
fixed.

New Finding: Adequate earthing for

Electrical electrical equipment/ Corrected
equipment/ motor must be On 16/06/2021: 04-Dec-2020 Completed
ensured. 1 Month Corrected.
16 Motor earth
has no
connection at
terminal/body.

Snippet of an inspection report at a covered factory. Note that it includes a description of

the findings, the corrective actions to be taken, a remediation timeline and pictorial evidence.

18
 THE SAFETY COMMITTEE’S ROLE IN REMEDIATING SAFETY PROBLEMS
Inspection Reports are simply a list of safety hazards / safety problems found during a
workplace inspection. Safety Committees should be familiar with these reports, and in fact
should be able to produce these reports whenever they conduct an inspection.

More important than the list of safety hazards / safety problems are the action steps a
factory must take to fix the problems. The RSC calls these a Corrective Action Plan, or
CAP. They are very useful because they can allow the Safety Committee to monitor a
factory’s progress in fixing problems and reducing hazards.

Every Safety Committee meeting should include a review of any Corrective Action Plans in
effect at the factory. Corrective Action Plans are easy to read and understand – they
contain a description of the problem, what the factory needs to do to fix the problem, and
the timeline for the factory to do so.

The Committee can easily determine if the factory is meeting the timelines set for fixing
hazards, and if the factory is behind schedule, the Safety Committee can find out why. In
cases where the factory is well behind its schedule in fixing hazards, a good Safety
Committee will pressure the factory management to do more, and if that fails, the
Committee should seek outside assistance to help get the hazards fixed. This kind of
outside assistance can come from the RSC, or from governmental agencies.

Snippet of a covered factory’s CAP. Note in the Comments column that RSC engineers
verify the status of the inspection finding during each follow-up inspection. It sometimes happens
that an issue verified as corrected is found at a later moment in time to be outstanding.

It’s important that the Safety Committee communicate to workers about what it is doing to
monitor the factory’s Corrective Action steps. This can be done by posting a notice on the
Safety Committee board. Such communication shows workers the Safety Committee is
doing its job, and also shows workers that the Company is fixing safety problems when
they are found.

19
Notes

20
Chapter 3 Dealing with Safety and
Health Complaints

21
 ESTABLISHING YOUR SAFETY COMMITTEE’S COMPLAINT PROCESS
One of the most important things any Safety Committee does is to receive complaints
from workers about safety problems at work. Normally it is workers who are most
likely to discover safety and health problems in a factory, since they are the ones
operating equipment, and it is important that workers understand they can bring such
problems to the Safety Committee, and that the Safety Committee can resolve such
problems.

There are two things necessary if a Safety Committee wants to be able to receive and
resolve complaints from workers: first, they need to educate workers so that the
workers know they have a right to contact the Safety Committee about problems and
they know how to make a complaint; secondly, the Safety Committee needs to develop
some sort of process to investigate the complaints and get them fixed.

Let’s look at the process part first. The process for receiving and remedying safety
problems should be a simple one, since the easier it is to receive complaints and
investigate them, the quicker the problems can be remedied.

Workers can make safety related complaints in a variety of ways: by simply talking to
a manager, or talking to a Safety Committee member, or by submitting a Safety
Complaint to a special box that is on the factory floor for receiving Safety Complaints.

Once the complaint has been submitted – brought to the attention of the Safety
Committee – the Safety Committee can deal with the problem in the manner best
suited to that complaint. Some complaints can be remedied quickly and easily, and
some may take more time. Here’s a sample method of resolving Safety Complaints
with three steps. The complaint may be solved at any of these three steps, and the
quicker the better:

A SAMPLE SAFETY COMPLAINT PROCESS

Step 1: A Safety Committee member discusses the complaint with
a supervisor or manager and the complaint is resolved and the
safety problem fixed.

Step 2: If the supervisor or manager can’t resolve the complaint,

the Safety Committee Co-Chairs can jointly talk to a higher level
of management to try and get the problem resolved.

Step 3: If that doesn’t get the problem solved, the entire Safety
Committee can meet to discuss the problem and make a
recommendation to top management about how to resolve the
problem.

22
 Let’s review the four basic components of
an in-house Safety Complaint Process.
Remember, the best way to resolve safety
problems is quickly, using the Safety
Committee and not waiting for outside help.

1. The Safety Committee and management

train workers so that they know how to
raise a safety complaint.

2. Workers know who is on the Safety

Committee and they know where to go to
raise a safety complaint.

3. Workers know that they can raise safety

Once the Safety Committee determines what
the process will be for raising and resolving
safety complaints, it is important that the
Safety Committee discuss the process with
management so that management
understands and agrees with the process.
issues and complaints without fear of
reprisal – they will not be punished for
raising safety issues at work.
4. The Safety Committee and management
have agreed upon how the Safety
Complaint process in their factory will
operate.

EDUCATING WORKERS ABOUT THE SAFETY COMPLAINT PROCESS

Once the Safety Committee agrees on what process they will use to resolve safety
complaints, it is important to let workers know about the process and how they can
make safety complaints. There are a number of ways to do this.

The process itself should be written down – in simple steps – and posted on bulletin
boards in the factory. The Committee may want to use a standard Safety Complaint
Form that workers can fill out and give to Safety Committee members, but that’s not a
requirement. Most of the time, a verbal report of a safety complaint is better than a
written one because it is easier for the worker to explain the problem verbally.

The Safety Committee may also want to have a short training session for workers so
they can explain the safety complaint process to them.

Whether through a posting on the bulletin board, or a training session, it is important

that workers know there is a process and a way for them to raise safety issues.

Example of a panel
board showing the
most common
workplace safety
hazards and providing
a complaints box for
workers. Complaints
can be filed
anonymously.

23
 WHEN THE SAFETY COMMITTEE CANNOT RESOLVE A SAFETY COMPLAINT
So, let’s assume your Safety Committee has established a safety complaint process,
and the workers know about it and begin to bring safety issues and problems to the
Safety Committee. By going through the steps of the process, your Committee will
likely be able to resolve most safety complaints and problems they hear about.

But it is likely that there will be some problems that cannot be fixed by the Safety
Committee. Sometimes management will be slow in responding to a safety problem.
Sometimes management may not agree with workers that there even is a safety
problem. Sometimes supervisors will not want to fix safety problems because
production may suffer.

Whatever the reason, if a safety problem exists, and the safety Committee cannot
resolve the problem, workers have the right to get help from the RSC – or other
outside agencies - to fix the problem. The Safety Committee can ask workers to talk to
them first about safety problems and give the Safety Committee a chance to fix the
problem, but when the problem persists, workers and the Safety Committee can turn
to other ways to resolve the problems.

The Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) Complaint Mechanism operated by the RSC
was established for just this purpose.

THE OSH SAFETY COMPLAINT PROCESS OPERATED BY THE RSC

Booklets have been provided to workers in covered factories explaining the OSH
Safety Complaint Process . The booklet briefly explains the OSH Complaint Process
and workers’ rights in covered factories.

Here is a brief outline of the OSH Safety Complaint Process:

When workers believe a safety or health

problem exists and is not being fixed by
management, they may contact the RSC office
to file a safety complaint. The complaint can
be filed by an individual worker, or group of
workers, or even a Safety Committee.

The RSC first determines if the complaint is

indeed a safety and health issue, and if so,
begins an investigation of the complaint.

The investigation may include discussions

The RSC informs all workers in
the factory of how the complaint
has been resolved.
with workers, on-site visits to the factory and
/ or discussions with management. Once the
RSC has completed its investigation of the
issue, it will issue a report and requirements
for resolving the problem.
The RSC will work with management to
implement the solution. Under the terms of
the RSC, management must cooperate with
the RSC in resolving safety issues in order to
continue doing business with the companies
participating in the RSC.

24
Besides providing a process for resolving safety complaints, the RSC also
protects a worker’s right to refuse dangerous work. Here’s how that
works:

If a worker believes she is being asked to perform

some work that is dangerous and is likely to result
in injury, she should tell her supervisor about the
problem, and ask that the problem be fixed before she
performs the work in question.

If the supervisor or management disagree with the

worker, and feel the work is not dangerous, they may
explain why the work is not dangerous and tell the
worker to go ahead and perform the work.

If the worker still believes the work is dangerous, and

is likely to result in injury, then she may contact the
RSC to try and resolve the issue.

The RSC will immediately assign an engineer

to go to the factory to investigate the work and
determine whether or not it poses a danger. While
waiting for the RSC to do that investigation, the factory
management may NOT require the worker to perform
the work, but may ask her to do other work.

The RSC engineer will determine whether or not the

work in question is dangerous. If so, the RSC will
discuss steps the management can take to make the
work safe and once this has been done, the worker will
be expected to perform the work. If the RSC engineer
finds that the work in question is not dangerous, the
engineer will explain that to the worker and the worker
will then be expected to perform the work.

Workers have the right to file safety complaints, or to refuse dangerous work,
because these rights help make workplaces safer and reduce injuries to
workers. The RSC requires management to respect these workers’ rights, and
not punish workers who use these rights.

The RSC also expects workers to use these rights responsibly and not file
frivolous or silly safety complaints and not refuse work unless it really is
dangerous and likely to cause injury.

25
Notes

26
Chapter 4 Hazard Identification and
Hazard Control

27
 Every workplace has its own hazards – a hazard is any condition or action that
has the potential to cause harm or injury to people, property or the environment.

In this chapter, we will look at some common safety and health hazards in the
Ready-Made-Garment industry, then we will look at ways these hazards can be
reduced and controlled. We’ll also look at the role the Safety Committee can play in
identifying and reducing workplace hazards.

Safety hazards identified by the Safety Committee during a factory

walk-through: i) the worker is not utilising an iron plate for his iron and
ii) cables are not adequately insulated.

28
COMMON SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARDS IN RMG FACTORIES
The following are the most common kinds of hazards workers face in RMG factories:

Electrical Hazards are common and can come

from many sources, including faulty wiring,
overloaded electrical outlets, and unprotected
live wires. The dangers include electrocution as
well as fires.

Overloaded outlets can cause electrical short

circuits or fires.

Fire Hazards exist in every factory. Common

sources of fire include hot processes like
welding, any open flame process, cooking
materials, smoking, and faulty electrical
equipment.

Dust and lint can cause fire if they are

allowed to build up.

Structural Hazards include anything that

weakens the structural integrity of a building. This
can be cracks in walls, overloading on upper
floors, stressed columns, foundation cracks, and
more.

Putting too much weight on a floor can lead to

the collapse of the floor or even the building.

Chemical and Dust Hazards may come from

chemicals used in the work process or from
pesticides or cleaning products used in the
workplace. Other sources may be building
materials like asbestos, or fumes from welding.

Chemical hazards can often cause slips and

falls, especially in the washing and dyeing
sections of the factory.

29
 Ergonomic Hazards are hazards caused by the
way a work station is set up, the overall
environment of a work station and by how a
worker needs to move to do her job.

Ergonomic hazards include poor lighting and

ventilation and stressful work positions.

Machine Hazards exist whenever there are

machines with moving parts. Hazards
come from a lack of machine guards, or from
drive belts and rotating pieces of the machine.

Faulty machines and machines not maintained in

good working order cause additional problems.

Physical and Environmental Hazards are

hazards caused by the environment that workers
work in. That environment may be too noisy, or too
hot or cold, or too wet. Any of these conditions
poses a hazard and can lead to injury.

Physical and environmental hazards are

caused by the factory floor environment.

Biological Hazards can exist even in Ready Made

Garment Factories. Biological hazards may include
insects and pests, contaminated water, viruses and
diseases, bacteria and mold.

An unhygienic washroom constitutes

a health hazard.

Safety Hazards exist everywhere, and because of that these hazards can be easily
overlooked. They include slippery or uneven floors, poorly-lit stairways, and blocked
aisles or exits. These kinds of hazards are a major source of workplace accidents and
injuries.

30
In addition to these common safety hazards, there are several common health
hazards in Ready-Made-Garment factories that the Safety Committee needs to be
aware of.

Sexual Harassment is any unwanted sexual

advances or requests for sexual favors. It may be
verbal or physical. Sexual Harassment includes any
unwanted touching or comments of a sexual nature.

Examples of sexual harassment: unwanted touching,

comments of a sexual nature or requests for sexual
favors, unnecessary request to remove your scarf or
other piece of clothing.

Workplace Violence is any violence or threat

of violence in the workplace. It can be verbal as
well as physical, and may occur inside or
outside the factory.

Workplace violence includes pushing, slapping,

pulling of clothing, and fighting.

Any type of sexual harassment or workplace violence is illegal

and should not be tolerated. Report such behaviour or incidents
immediately to management.

Excessive Work Hours and Forced Overtime,

overtime worked beyond the legal number of hours
allowed, is dangerous to a worker’s health, and can
cause mental, physical and social problems.

Forced overtime and inadequate break time can

create stress and fatigue, which increase the
chance of workplace injury.

Failure to Receive or Use Maternity Leave is

a health hazard to both the mother and the baby.
Paid maternity leave allows mothers to recover
and bond with their new babies.

Using maternity leave results in healthier babies

and mothers, as well as a decrease in infant
mortality and post-natal depression.

31
 HAZARD CONTROLS
Knowing the hazards that exist in your factory is only the first step in reducing the
hazards at work. Some hazards can be totally eliminated, and that is obviously the
best approach to take with hazards. But many hazards cannot be totally eliminated,
so we need to reduce or control those hazards.

There are four levels of hazard control, as shown in this illustration, called the
Hazard Control Pyramid:

ELIMINATION/ ELIMINATES THE EXPOSURE

SUBSITUTION BEFORE IT CAN OCCUR
s
es
ven

ENGINEERING REQUIRES A
CONTROLS PYSICAL CHANGE
cti

TO THE WORKPLACE
ffe
gE
sin
rea

ADMINISTRATIVE & REQUIRES WORKER

WORK PRACTICE CONTROLS OR EMPLOYER TO
Inc

DO SOMETHING

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIRES

(INCLUDING RESPIRATORS) WORKER
TO WEAR
SOMETHING

Hazard Control Pyramid

32
Even if you have never seen this pyramid before, you can be sure that your
factory is using at least some of these levels of control. The best level of control
is at the top – elimination of the hazard in question. This control removes the
hazard completely from the workplace. It’s easiest to understand this kind of
control when dealing with chemicals or hazardous materials at work. You can
stop using certain chemicals or materials, or more likely, find substitutes for the
dangerous chemicals or materials being used. If a solvent that causes eye and
skin irritation is being used to clean machinery at work, you should look for a
solvent that does not cause these problems.

The second best level of hazard control is engineering controls. Engineering

controls reduce hazards by making a physical change in the workplace, creating
a barrier between the hazard and the worker.

The next level of hazard control is administrative or work practice controls.

This kind of control requires the worker or management to do something to
reduce hazards. A simple example would be training workers on the correct and
safe use of a machine, or sharing with workers information about the hazards
they will be exposed to from certain chemicals. Rules about not smoking in
certain areas of the factory are another example of an administrative control.

The final kind of hazard control is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This is
a type of control that requires a worker to wear some sort of protective equipment,
like a mask or respirator, or gloves or a face-shield, to protect the worker from
hazards.

It is important to realise that these types of hazard Control are not equal in their
effectiveness to protect workers from hazards. That’s why the controls are
presented in the form of a pyramid. The best, most effective controls, are at the
top – elimination and substitution. The least effective controls are at the bottom of
the pyramid – personal protective equipment. Management and Safety Committees
should always be looking for the best way to control hazards, using the top two
kinds of controls whenever possible.

33
 THE SAFETY COMMITTEE’S ROLE IN IMPROVING HAZARD CONTROL
Once the Safety Committee has recognised what hazards exist in the factory, and
once the Safety Committee has become familiar with different types of hazard
controls, the Committee can begin reviewing what types of control are being used in
the factory. And remember, the basic idea is to use the most effective kind of
control available for any hazard.

Safety Committees can do this in a few simple steps – the steps are ‘simple’
because they are not hard to understand, but that doesn’t mean they are easy.
Listing existing hazards can be done easily, and seeing what is being currently done
to reduce the hazard is not difficult, but finding a better way to reduce the hazard,
and then implementing that better control will not be easy.

The Safety Committee needs to learn what better hazard controls exist for a hazard.

The Safety Committee will need to learn what better hazard controls exist for a
hazard, and then will have to convince management to use that better control. That
can be difficult because the most effective controls are usually more costly than the
weaker controls, and may require more changes to the workplace. To convince
management of the value of using a better hazard control, the Safety Committee
needs to be able to explain the benefits of a new control clearly and needs to be
persistent in advocating for the best controls.

34
Here’s a simple (but not easy) step-by-step approach the Safety
Committee can use:

Step 1: Identify main hazards in the factory

Usually the Safety Committee will be able to list hazards easily,

especially the biggest problems. If the Safety Committee wants to
make a complete list of safety problems and hazards, they can do a
workplace inspection. Chapter Six of this Handbook has more
information about workplace inspections.

Step 2: Prioritise the list

Choose two or three of the hazards that the Safety Committee

wants to focus on. These might be the problems workers complain
about the most, or problems that have been causing workplace
injuries and illnesses.

Step 3: Determine what controls are currently being used to

reduce the hazard

What is management currently doing to reduce the problem? This might

be ‘nothing’ – management is not doing anything about this problem –
but it’s more likely some sort of hazard control is being used. Which kind
of control? An Engineering control? Personal Protective Equipment?
Administrative control?

Step 4: Choose one hazard as your test case

The Safety Committee now can choose one hazard that the Safety
Committee believes can be better controlled. That is, you choose a
hazard that is currently not being controlled well, and you find a better
control for that hazard.

Step 5: Meet with management to improve the hazard control

The Safety Committee will need to meet with management to the hazard,
the current control, and the new control that the Safety Committee
believes will work better (do a better job of reducing or even eliminating
the hazard). The more information the Safety Committee brings to such a
meeting – like problems with the current control, the cost of the new
control, the specific benefits of using the new control – the more likely
management will be willing to consider the new control.

35
Notes

36
Chapter 5 Communication and
Problem Solving

37
 It may seem odd to put a chapter called ‘Communication and Problem Solving’ in a handbook
about workplace safety. But this Handbook is not just about safety at work, it’s about creating
effective Safety Committees in workplaces to ensure safety at work. In fact, the basic premise
of this handbook is that an effective Safety Committee is the best tool for making workplaces
safe. And to be effective, a Safety Committee needs to know how to communicate and how to
solve problems.

COMMUNICATION
For the Safety Committee, communication means two things: one is the ability to communicate
to workers and management about safety concerns. The other is just as important – the
ability for Safety Committee members to communicate well with each other in Committee
meetings when safety problems are discussed.

In the very first training that Safety Committees receive from the Accord (the training
programme is now implemented by the RSC), and in the first chapter of this Handbook, it was
stressed that a good Safety Committee is a “Joint” Committee, made up of both workers and
managers because both workers and managers need to have a voice and be involved in
creating a safe workplace. In order for the voices of workers and managers to be heard in
Safety Committee meetings, all members of the Committee need to know how to communicate
well.

So, how do we communicate well?

Think of communication as simply an interaction between two or more people. This interaction
can be seen as a loop, with four possible components:

The Sender sends a message.

The Message is what is being

communicated, usually verbally, but
sometimes with actions or images.

The Receiver is the person or

persons the message is intended
for.
Feedback is what the receiver will
give back to the sender (hopefully),
since the sender needs to know if It is important that the Safety Committee has
and how the message was received. the ability to communicate to workers and
management about safety concerns.

It may sound like a simple interaction, but as we all know, there are many barriers to good
communication. Removing the barriers to good communication helps us communicate better,
but to remove the barriers we need to know what they are.

Barriers to communication can be external or internal. External barriers are things in our
surroundings that interfere with our communication, like noise, or disruptions and
interruptions, possibly heat. These barriers should be minimised as much as possible.

38
 Listening well requires ‘active’ listening, and we all have to work to be active listeners.

Active listening is more than just hearing – it means you make a conscious effort to focus on
what is being said and suspend your biases. It means you are willing to be impacted by what
is being said – you may not be impacted, but you are willing to let the speaker speak, consider
what is said without bias, and then decide if you agree or not. That’s a hard thing for us to do.

Active listening takes practice, and here are some tips to help you become a
better listener:

Active Listening Tips

Look at the speaker & make eye contact
Ask questions
Be aware of emotions
Don’t interrupt
Don’t change the subject
Concentrate on what is being said
Use Feedback
Don’t display boredom
Listening well requires ‘active’ listening, and we
all have to work to be active listeners. Don’t fake attention
Don’t jump to conclusions

PROBLEM SOLVING
Making the workplace safe is the basic goal of any Safety Committee, and that will often
require the Committee to find acceptable solutions to complicated safety problems. In any
industry, and the RMG industry in Bangladesh is no exception, there will always be a tension
between safe work practices and production requirements.

So, how can a Safety Committee resolve these kinds of conflicts between production and
safety and keep safety in the workplace a real priority?

THE JOINT PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH

All Safety Committees at covered factories receive training about the Joint Problem Solving
Approach, so this handbook will not go into great detail about this approach to problem
solving. But Safety Committee members change over time, so a brief overview of the
approach will be given here, and if a Safety Committee wants more information or training
about the Joint Problem Solving Approach, they should contact management.

39
 Many times, when a safety problem arises and needs to be resolved, members of
the Safety Committee will have strong opinions about how to solve the problem.
That’s normal. But if the management side and the worker side of the Committee
have different strong opinions, how can we find an acceptable resolution?

Traditionally, when there’s a dispute about a problem, the side that wins is the side
that has more power. Put simply, the side with power can force the other side to
accept their side of the argument. So power wins out. But that traditional approach
often times does not lead to the best solution.

The Joint Problem Solving approach attempts to get both sides working together
to find the best possible solution. With the Joint Problem Solving, agreed-upon
‘principles’ determine what the best solution is instead of whichever side has the
‘power’ telling the other side what the solution to a problem is. For this approach,
both sides of an argument must be willing to listen to each other’s opinions and
concerns, and then together find a solution to the problem that meets those
concerns.

Joint Problem Solving cannot work unless both sides agree to respect each other’s
opinions and concerns and work together to find a solution. There are six basic
steps to this approach. Knowing the steps is important, but it’s only by actually
working through this approach when confronting a difficult problem that the Safety
Committee can get a real understanding of this approach.

40
A brief look at the six steps in Joint Problem Solving:

1. Identify the Problem in a neutral way, not focusing on positions or

solutions, just what the problem is. Come to an agreement on what the
problem is. Try to frame the problem as a question.

2. Identify the ‘Interests’ all Committee members have. Interests are

not solutions, they are the underlying reason you believe there’s a
problem. Interests tell us ‘why’ we think we have a problem.

3. Brainstorm options for solving the problem. In this step, every

member can contribute any ideas he or she has for resolving the
problem.

4. Establish standards by which you can judge the options.

Standards are principles that ALL members can agree on.
Common standards are things like fairness to all, feasibility,
affordability, legality, mutually beneficial.

5. Evaluate the options you listed in step 3 using the standards

you agreed on in step 4. If an option doesn’t meet the standards,
then it’s out.

6. Choose the BEST option. The best option is one that meets the
standards and is acceptable to ALL Committee members. It
may not be the first choice of some members, but it has to be
acceptable.

Joint Problem Solving does work. It’s a good method for solving problems because
it will lead to better cooperation between members of the Safety Committee and
better acceptance of safety rules and procedures by all.

But it is a process – it takes time, and it takes practice. As mentioned earlier, it

requires each member of the Safety Committee to respect the views of all fellow
members, and to be willing to communicate clearly and honestly with other
members of the Committee.

41
Notes

42
Chapter 6 Establishing Safety Monitoring
Systems in your Factory

43
 M aking sure your factory is a safe place to work is an ongoing process – the job
is never completely done because safety problems continuously arise in every
workplace. In this chapter we will look at how you can continuously monitor safety
in your factory.

You can always know the safety situation in your factory if you establish and use
Safety Monitoring Systems. So, what is a Safety Monitoring System?

A Safety Monitoring System is a systematic approach to managing safety, a

system that includes all the organisational structures, accountability, policies and
procedures needed.

A closer look at that definition shows the

important elements:

A systematic approach means a

comprehensive, well-planned approach.
Organisational structures means
resources and management commitment.
The Safety Committee is an organisational
structure.
Accountability means certain people are
responsible for certain parts of the safety
programme.
Policies and procedures means all the
rules and policies the Company has about
safety, as well as things like regular
training for workers, etc.

Why bother with Safety Monitoring? These systems are the best way to regularly
review potential hazards and establish policies and procedures to reduce those
hazards. A good safety monitoring system allows you to continuously maintain a safe
workplace. In this chapter, we will look at several different Safety Monitoring Systems
every factory should have in place for the following areas of workplace safety:

Fire Safety
Electrical Safety
Emergency Evacuation Procedures
Machine Safety
Personal Protective Equipment
Workplace Inspections

44
 Fires in a factory can
be deadly. The smoke
caused by fire is just
as dangerous as the
fire itself.

Being prepared
is crucial.

MONITORING FIRE SAFETY

There are four elements of Fire Safety that the Safety Committee must be aware
of in order to evaluate your factory’s fire safety status and monitor fire safety on
an ongoing basis:

1. Fire Prevention
2. Early Warning of Fires
3. Containment of Fires
4. Safe Exiting

Fire Prevention is obviously the safest way to keep your factory safe from fire.
And fire prevention can be accomplished by understanding what causes fires, and
working to make sure those causes are controlled. As seen in this fire prevention
diagram, fire has three basic ingredients – fuel, heat, and oxygen. Keeping these
sources of fire separate will prevent fire.

So, in monitoring fire prevention, it is important to know the sources of all three
ingredients of fire in the factory so they can be safely controlled.

What sources of heat exist in the factory, and

how are they being controlled?
HEAT What sources of fuel exist in the factory, and
how are they being controlled and monitored?
FIRE
Oxygen exists everywhere of course. But does
PREVENTION
the factory use special sources of oxygen in
any of its work processes, and how is this
OXYGEN FUEL oxygen being controlled?

45
 Every workplace needs to have a Fire Prevention Plan. The basic parts of a
Fire Prevention plan include:

List of major fire hazards in the workplace

Housekeeping policies and procedures
Training for employees in use of heat or fuel sources
Maintenance of equipment schedules
Names of people responsible for maintenance

To evaluate your Fire Prevention plan, ask these questions:

Does a Fire Prevention plan exist?

Who is responsible for the plan?
Does the plan contain all the elements needed – training,
housekeeping policies, maintenance, etc.?
What additions to the plan are needed?

Early Warning of Fire is accomplished through automatic fire alarm systems.

Obviously fire alarms need to be clearly marked and located throughout the
workplace.
To evaluate your factory’s Early Warning system, ask these questions:

Does the factory have an early warning system?

Who is responsible for inspection and maintenance of the
warning system?
Are fire drills – evacuation of the building – done regularly?
Are employees trained on response to fire warnings?

Containment of Fire is done through sprinkler systems, as well as barriers. Barriers

include firewalls and fire-resistant walls and floors, and fire resistant barriers between
floors and around exit stairways.
To evaluate your factory’s methods of Fire Containment, ask these questions:

Do fire resistant doors and walls exist where needed?

Are sprinkler systems maintained?
Who is responsible for maintenance of sprinkler systems?

46
 Safe exiting is the fourth component of fire safety. Safe exiting requires at
least two exits from every floor and fire barriers around exit stairways. In
addition, locks are never allowed on fire exits and the pathways to exits must
always be unobstructed and clearly marked.

To evaluate your factory’s Safe Exiting, ask these questions:

Does the factory meet the basic requirements for egress,

including fire doors, exit stairways, travel distance, on all
floors?
Who is responsible for keeping fire doors unlocked, and
keeping exit pathways clear?
Are exit maps posted on all floors?
Are employees trained in safe exiting?

You are not a fire fighter! Your job is to safely exit the factory.
When you hear the fire alarm, do not try to The Fire Service will put out the fire.
fight the fire. Do not try to put out the fire.

Ongoing evaluation and monitoring of Fire Safety in your factory can be done by
the Safety Committee by setting aside time in Committee meetings, on a regular
basis, to review and discuss all the above Fire Safety issues.

47
 The following table shows six common fire hazards and their solutions.
Do these hazards currently exist in your factory? Has your factory implemented
the proper solutions?

PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

Collapsible gates or sliding doors are Replace all such doors with fire
provided at exits compliant swinging doors.

Hazardous or flammable materials Separate hazardous and flammable

storage NOT separated from working materials from work areas with at
areas with fire protection walls. least a 2-hour fire containment wall.

Storage located in egress paths Keep egress paths and stairs clear
throughout the factory. of storage.

Exit stairs discharge inside of factory. Modify stairs to discharge outside

factory or provide a 2-hour fire
protected passageway leading from
stairs to outside of the factory.

Lack of proper housekeeping, Provide neat and orderly storage

combustible materials piled in rooms, kept clean and tidy.
rooms.

Poor exit lighting, due to lack of Regularly inspect, test, and maintain
inspection, testing and maintenance emergency lighting systems.
of emergency lighting systems.

AFTER REMEDIATION
BEFORE REMEDIATION Unblocked egress path and
Storage blocking the means of egress handrails on stairs

48
MONITORING ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Electricity is a basic and powerful source of energy. It is also a common cause of
injury and death to employees when electrical safety rules are not followed.

Basic Electrical Safety Rules

Use qualified electrical contractors and electricians for
installation and repair of electrical equipment and fittings.
Maintain proper pest control to avoid rodent damage to
electrical wiring and fittings.
Regularly inspect electrical equipment, and repair or replace
defective equipment.
Train employees so that they are familiar with all electrical
safety procedures related to their jobs.
Responsibility for Electrical Safety should be delegated to an
employee with complete knowledge of electricity, electrical
work and safety practices, and the appropriate standards for
installation and performance.
Whenever working on equipment or machines, ALWAYS:

-De-energise the equipment.

-Use lock-out and tag procedures to ensure equipment
remains de-energised.
-Use insulated protective equipment.
-Maintain a safe distance from energised parts.

To evaluate and monitor Electrical Safety in your factory,

the Safety Committee needs to discuss the following issues on
a regular basis:

Is electrical work being done only by qualified electrical

contractors?
Is pest control adequate to prevent rodent damage to
electrical parts and equipment?
Are regular inspections – by a qualified electrician – of
electrical boxes, wiring, and conduits being done?
Have employees been trained about any electrical
hazards associated with the machinery or equipment
they use?
Have employees been trained about lock-out and tag
procedures?
Is there one person – a qualified electrical technician –
who has overall responsibility for electrical safety
procedures and policies?

49
 Ongoing monitoring of Electrical Safety can be
done by the Safety Committee by regularly asking
the above questions. At least twice a year, the
Safety Committee should review maintenance
records for electrical equipment, and annually
the Committee should conduct an electrical
inspection – an inspection done of all electrical
components in the factory – with a qualified
electrician.

A sample Electrical Safety Checklist is

attached to this Handbook as an appendix. Your
Safety Committee can use it to monitor electrical
safety.

The following table shows six common electrical

hazards and their solutions.
RSC engineer verifying the electrical Do these hazards currently exist in your factory?
wiring during factory inspection. Has your factory implemented the proper
solutions?

PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

Combustible materials stored in Remove all combustible materials from generator room.
generator or electrical room. Maintain routine inspections to ensure combustible
materials NOT stored in generator room.

High tension electrical cable laid Construct a cable trench to route the cable correctly, or
on floor without protection. install a cable tray or duct to provide protection and
prevent damage.

Electrical box is not supporting Install cable tray and riser with protective metal cover
cables correctly, with cables lying to support the cables. Fix the panel enclosure to protect
on floor. Electrical box door the control devices inside the panel. Rearrange cables
broken. in tray and riser through proper route.

Compressor machine supported on Wheels must be anchored or locked to prevent

wheels, and put in the same room compressor from rolling. Remove combustible
with combustible materials. material stored inside the same room with the
compressor.

Lint and dust on transformer top. Ensure that transformer is kept clean through
regular inspection and housekeeping.

Electrical room being used as Maintenance room must be relocated.

general maintenance room.

50
 BEFORE REMEDIATION AFTER REMEDIATION
Lack of cable support and protection Cable tray installed

MONITORING EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURES

Emergency Evacuation Procedures are the policies and procedures that allow
workplaces to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

There are two key components to Emergency Evacuation Procedures:

1. An Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

2. Employee Training

An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is a comprehensive document that covers all

aspects of emergency planning. Key elements are:

Methods for reporting an emergency

These might include alarms, horns, or a PA system.

Evacuation Policy
For example, ALL employees evacuate, NONE remain to fight a fire.

Escape Routes
Where do employees go to exit upon hearing an alarm?

Assembly Point after Evacuation

What safe place – away from danger – do employees assemble at
after leaving the factory?

Procedures to Account for Employees after Evacuation

Is everyone out and accounted for?

Medical Duties and Responsibilities

Who will administer first aid?

Names and Job Titles of EAP Leaders

Who is in charge during an emergency?

51
 There are several key elements to a good training programme for employees about
Emergency Action procedures.

1. All employees need to know what kinds of emergencies may occur and what
they should do when they hear an emergency alarm or warning.
2. Certain employees – a sufficient number – should be trained to assist in a safe
and orderly emergency evacuation.
3. All employees should know WHO is in charge during an emergency to avoid
confusion.
4. Training should include information about evacuation routes, shelters, and
accounting procedures.
5. Certain employees may be trained in shutdown procedures.
6. Very Important – training and drills must be repeated in order to keep the
information fresh. If training is not reinforced, it will be forgotten.

RSC trainer
conveying to
workers the
following key
message.

‘Fire in a factory
can be deadly.
The smoke caused
by fire is just as
dangerous as the
fire itself.
Being
prepared
is crucial.’

52
To evaluate and monitor your factory’s Emergency Evacuation Procedures, your
Safety Committee should discuss the following issues on a regular basis:

Are there established alarms and evacuation routes?

Do employees know who is in charge during an emergency?
Do employees understand that they should NOT fight fires, but immediately
evacuate the building?
Have employees received training on Emergency Evacuation?
Is the Emergency Action Plan being kept up to date?
Who has overall responsibility for Emergency Evacuation planning?
How often do evacuation drills occur?
Are drills reviewed and evaluated afterwards?
How often do employees receive training on Emergency Evacuation?

When they hear a fire alarm, workers need to exit the factory quickly and
safely. They should neither panic, nor run. All workers must know where the
exits are. The exit doors must be unlocked and free of obstacles.

A comprehensive Emergency Action Plan Checklist is attached to this

Handbook as an appendix. Your Safety Committee should refer to it when
monitoring the Emergency Evacuation procedures in your factory.

53
 MONITORING MACHINE SAFETY
Most machine injuries occur for two basic reasons:

Lack of Lack of
Training for Machine Operators Regular Maintenance

Therefore, it’s obvious the solution to the problem of machine injuries is both good
training for operators, and regular maintenance for all machinery.

Safety Training for Machine Operators in RMG

Factories
A good training programme for machine
operators consists of at least two major parts:
how to operate the machine, and how to do so
safely. Most employers do a good job of the
first part – they take the time to teach operators
how to operate the machines. But the second
part is just as important and the Safety
Committee can play a role in this part of the
training – how do I operate this machine
safely?

While there are many kinds of machines in an

Training in the proper use of
machines is essential.
RMG factory, let’s look at two common machines
to see what basic safety features are needed.
The safety information needed for any machine
is usually provided by the manufacturer of the
machine and should be available to the Safety
Committee and operators. Every operator
should be aware of these safety features, and
trained in their use.

Basic safety Features for Basic safety features for

Sewing Machines: Cutting Machines:
Needle Guards Five Finger Chainmail Gloves
Eye Guards Good Lighting
Good Lighting Adequate Work Space – enough room
to move freely
Proper Seating
Adjustable Blade Guards
Adequate Work Space – enough room
to move freely Safe Method for Changing and Disposing
of Blades
Regular inspection and maintenance
of machine Regular inspection and maintenance
of machine

Other machines in use at an RMG factory have their own safety features that operators
need to understand. The Safety Committee’s role can be making sure such safety
information is available to operators of all machines, and that all operators are trained.

54
Machine Maintenance
Along with good training programmes, regular maintenance of machinery is the best
way to prevent machine-related injuries. Here are some key elements of a good
maintenance programme:

Maintenance mechanics should be trained by machine

manufacturers on a regular basis to stay current with
machinery.
Mechanics should use personal protective equipment and
appropriate tools for the job.
Maintenance work should be done using the manufacturer’s
maintenance instructions.
Use downtime for machine maintenance.
Keep maintenance schedules and records for all machines,
and review the records regularly.
Maintenance mechanics should be trained in the safety
features of all machines they work on.

Engineer using Personal Protective Equipment

while testing electrical wiring of machine.

55
 Some DO’S and DON’TS of machine maintenance:

DO…
Make sure maintenance is done by trained and experienced
mechanics.

Train mechanics on safety features of all machines they work on.

Do maintenance regularly – use the manufacturer’s maintenance

instructions as a guide, particularly if there are safety-critical
features.

Tell workers to report damaged or faulty equipment immediately.

Provide the proper tools for maintenance mechanics.

Provide Personal Protective Equipment to mechanics.

Schedule major maintenance during downtime to minimise the

risk to mechanics and other workers.

Make sure maintenance is done safely, with machines and

moving parts shut down and locked.

Properly handle all flammable, explosive or toxic materials.

DON’T…
Ignore regularly scheduled maintenance.
Ignore reports of damaged or unsafe equipment
Use faulty or damaged machinery before it has been repaired.
Never override machine safety features.
Never modify machinery without manufacturer’s consent and
training.

56
To evaluate and monitor your factory’s level of Machine Safety, the Safety
Committee should discuss the following issues on a regular basis:

Are employees trained on the machinery they use?

Is training updated as new machinery is introduced?
Is information readily available to workers about the dangers
as well as the safety features of the machinery they use?
Does the factory have a regular maintenance programme for
the machinery in use?
Are maintenance workers trained about the machines they
work on?
Is maintenance done ONLY when work is not being done?
Who is responsible for ongoing machine maintenance?
Does the Safety Committee review maintenance records on a
regular basis?
Are machines regularly inspected?
Are training programmes for machine operators reviewed to
make sure they are up to date?

Are employees trained on the machinery they use?

57
 MONITORING PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT USE
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is equipment that will protect workers from safety
or health risks. There are many different types of PPE available, but it is important to
remember that PPE is almost never the best way to reduce the risk of a hazard.

In Chapter 4 of this Handbook, various types of hazard control were explained, and PPE
was shown to be the least effective method. But use of Personal Protective Equipment is
widespread, usually because it costs less than engineering or administrative types of
hazard control. This chapter looks at how to use PPE in ways that will make it as effective
as possible. However, your Safety Committee should always be looking for ways to use
more effective methods of hazard control.

There are many types of Personal Protective Equipment, including:

Respiratory protection
Eye protection
Hearing protection
Hand protection
Foot protection
Head protection
Skin protection
Protection when working from heights

Workers wearing Personal Protective Equipment

while operating sewing machines.

58
 There are several things to do to help make PPE as effective as possible. Most
important is to train workers on the proper use of any PPE that they are
required to use.

Besides training, it is important to choose the PPE carefully. Involving the

workers who will use the PPE when choosing the PPE will make it more likely that
the PPE is comfortable and will be used. If more than one piece of PPE is required
for a job – such as respirators and safety glasses – make sure they fit together.
Careful selection of PPE makes it more likely the PPE will actually be used.

Training workers on the use of PPE and explaining why it is needed – in other
words telling workers the safety and health hazards the PPE are meant to reduce
– also will increase the use of PPE. Beyond that, it’s also important to make firm
rules about the use of PPE and enforce the rules, without exception.

There are lots of PPE’s to choose from. The Safety Committee should get expert
help if it has questions about which PPE is the right one for any particular job or
operation.

Both workers and management have responsibilities regarding the use of Personal
Protective Equipment.

Safety Committee
members and
RSC trainer
discussing the
importance of
utilising PPE during
a Safety Committee
training session.

Management responsibilities include: Workers also have responsibilities

for PPE use. These include:
Looking for better hazard reduction
methods BEFORE choosing PPE’s. Using the PPE in the way they have
Training employees on HOW and WHY to been instructed.
use PPE’s. Not damaging or misusing the PPE.
Getting expert help when needed. Notifying management when the
Enforcing PPE rules. PPE does not work right or causes
problems.
Evaluating PPE’s regularly.

59
 To evaluate and monitor the use of Personal Protective Equipment in your
factory, the Safety Committee should discuss the following questions and issues on
a regular basis:

Have other control methods been tried or investigated BEFORE deciding

to use PPE’s?
Who has responsibility for PPE selection?
Are employees trained in PPE use?
Are PPE’s easily available to all workers?
Are PPE rules being enforced?
Are PPE’s evaluated to see if they are working properly and are effective?
Has there been a review of PPE selection with the manager who’s
responsible for PPE’s?
How often are employees receiving disciplinary actions based on failure
to use PPE?
Should the Company conduct a survey of employees to learn how they
feel about PPE’s?
When was the most current review of the training used for PPE use?

MONITORING WORKPLACE INSPECTIONS

Workplace inspections are an essential tool for monitoring workplace safety.
Inspections are one of the best ways of recognising, evaluating and controlling
hazards in the workplace.

Although the main responsibility for workplace inspections lies with management,
an effective Workplace Inspection programme requires collaboration between
managers, supervisors, workers, and the Safety Committee. All have important
roles to play in doing effective workplace inspection.

Employers’ Roles:
Carry out regular workplace inspections, and provide the resources – human
and financial – to do so.
Ensure workers are provided with the education and training needed to
understand their responsibility and to co-operate with those conducting
workplace inspections.
Consult with Safety Committees about scheduling workplace inspections.
Ensure Safety Committees take an active role in workplace inspections.
Review workplace inspection reports and ensure requirements for corrective
actions are implemented and monitored.

60
 Workers’ Roles:
Participate in workplace inspections when requested.
Make suggestions for corrective actions to those conducting
workplace inspections.

Workplace inspections are essential for monitoring workplace safety.

Safety Committee’s Roles

Co-operate with the employer in scheduling workplace inspections.
Actively participate in workplace inspections.
Review all workplace inspections reports.
Make recommendations for corrective action to the employer.
Monitor implementation, follow-up, and evaluation of corrective actions.
Regularly monitor the effectiveness of workplace inspections and make
recommendations for improvement when appropriate.

61
 Some managers avoid workplace inspections because they seem like a lot of work,
they may interfere with productivity, and are time consuming. But since workplace
inspections are a very effective way to recognise and control hazards, the Safety
Committee should make sure regular workplace inspections are part of every
factory’s safety programme. The following four steps can help your factory
establish an effective ongoing workplace inspection programme.

The Four Steps to Effective

Workplace Inspections are:

1. Planning the inspection.

2. Conducting the physical
inspection.
3. Writing the inspection
report, with
recommendations.
4. Reviewing inspection
reports and following up The Safety Committee should ensure
on recommendations. regular workplace inspections are part
of every factory’s safety programme.

Step 1: Planning the Inspection

Inspections should be performed by a team. The composition of the inspection team may
change, depending on which work areas are to be inspected. Inspection teams typically
include the workplace manager, the area supervisor, an employee with a good knowledge
of the various processes and procedures, and some members of the workplace Safety
Committee.

When inspecting equipment and work practices, the team should be able to rely on an
expert, such as an engineer, an electrician, a mechanic or a material handler.

An effective inspection depends on the ability of the team members to identify hazards.
This requires a good knowledge and understanding of:

The nature of the factory tasks and operations.

The relevant safety requirements and standards.
The full range of hazards associated with equipment, machines, processes
and the work environment.
Previous accidents and problematic work areas.

62
 Step 2: Physical Inspection
No workplace can be considered perfectly safe.
As a result, all areas of the workplace, including
offices, storage areas and maintenance areas
need to be inspected. You should also inspect
areas that are not generally used as workplaces,
such as parking facilities, cafeterias and locker
rooms.

When determining the number of inspections

to be performed and how often they will occur,
the following points need to be considered:

The complexity of the factory operations

and tasks.

A Safety Committee member has Hazardous equipment requiring inspections

found that the means of egress is
obstructed by storage. This is a safety
hazard. The storage boxes must be
removed so that in case of emergency,
the factory building can be evacuated
safely and orderly.
at fixed intervals.
Operations that pose a significant hazard,
requiring separate and more frequent
inspections.
Introduction of a new operation or new
machine.

It is important to remember, however, that the entire

workplace must be inspected at least twice a year.

To avoid possibly disastrous oversights, it is recommended that you prepare

checklists that identify all potential hazards. These lists should be reviewed on
a regular basis to ensure that they reflect changes to equipment or processes.
Checklists might also be revised because of what is learned through accident
reports.
While conducting inspections, remember that it is important to immediately
draw people’s attention to any major hazard that may exist. Less important
hazards can await the final report. And although they may need to ask questions,
members of the inspection team should not unnecessarily interrupt the work of
employees or in any way seek to assign blame for hazards that may have been
identified.

63
 TIPS for Conducting Effective Workplace Inspections

Draw attention to the presence of any immediate danger.

Other items can await the final report.
Shutdown and lock out any hazardous items that cannot be
brought to a safe operating standard until repaired.
Do not operate equipment. Ask the operator for a demonstration.
If the operator of any piece of equipment does not know what
dangers may be present, this is cause for concern.
Never ignore any item because you do not have knowledge to
make an accurate judgment of safety.
Look up, down, around and inside. Be thorough. Do not spoil
inspections with a once-over-lightly approach.
Clearly describe each hazard and its location in your notes.
Allow on-the-spot recording of all findings before they are
forgotten.
Record what you have or have not examined in case inspections
are interrupted.
Ask questions, but do not unnecessarily disrupt work activities.
This may interfere with efficient assessment of the job function
and may create a potentially hazardous situation.
Consider the static (stop position) and dynamic (in motion)
conditions of the item you are inspecting. If a machine is shut
down, consider postponing inspections until it is functioning
again.
When looking at equipment, processes or the environment,
discuss as a group: “Can any problem, hazard or accident
come from this situation?”

64
 Step 3: Writing the Inspection Report
Management should be made aware of the
problems found during an inspection in a
concise and factual manner. Good reports
make it easier to obtain management’s support
for recommendations made as a result of
inspections.

Don’t make the inspection report too long or

too wordy. There are only two basic parts of
an inspection report – a list of problems that
were found during the inspection and the
recommended actions to correct the
problems.

Safety Committee members engaged
in reviewing inspection reports.
Sometimes, the Safety Committee may want to
draw the management’s attention to problems
that keep occurring or that are particularly
hazardous. These comments should be at the
conclusion of the inspection report.

Step 4: Reviewing Reports / Follow Up on Recommendations

In order for inspections to be a meaningful part of a safety programme, the information
collected must be put to use. No matter how well conducted, an inspection will only be
worthwhile if the concerns noted by the team are carefully examined and appropriate
corrective action is taken.

Reviewing inspection reports:

The review of inspection reports is one of the primary functions of the workplace
Safety Committee. At least one person on that Committee should have the authority to
fix problems any hazards found, by making sure the necessary corrective measures
recommended by the Safety & Health Committee are implemented. Certain issues or
problems may require the opinion of an expert, such as an engineer or an industrial
hygienist.

It is important to inform those performing the inspections of any follow-up measures

that are to be taken, in order to boost their motivation.

Information obtained from inspections should be reviewed to determine which work

areas have the most safety and health problems, and to identify trends in safety and
health issues.

Information from reports can be used to:

Identify the need for training in certain areas.

Explain why certain types of accidents occur in certain areas.
Establish an order of priority for corrective action.
Help to establish better work practices.

65
 Workplace Inspections are not only a valuable tool in reducing workplace hazards
– they help show workers that safety is a top priority in the workplace. The Safety
Committee should make workplace inspections a regular activity.

The RSC trainer and

the factory Safety
Committee are
conducting a
walk-through of the
factory to identify
actual and potential
safety hazards.

To evaluate and monitor Workplace Inspections in your factory, the Safety Committee
should discuss the following questions and issues on a regular basis:

Is your workplace inspected regularly?

How often?
Who is currently on the inspection team?
Who should be added to the team?
Do you have good inspection checklists?
Do workers make suggestions during inspections?
Do inspections result in recommendations for
change? New Training?
Are the recommendations implemented?

66
Notes

67
Notes

68
Chapter 7 The Sustainable
Safety Committee

69
 The basic message of this Handbook is that a functioning and effective Safety
Committee is a crucial element in keeping workplaces safe and healthy.

This Handbook will hopefully serve as a guide to help Safety Committees become
– and remain – effective.

Safety Committees change over time. Members of the Safety Committee leave,
and are replaced by new members, on the management side and on the worker
side. That’s normal, and it’s also useful because new members bring new ‘eyes’
and new ideas to your Safety Committee.

But of course new members don’t have the experience that older members of the
Committee have. Therefore it’s important that your Safety Committee has a way of
introducing new members to the work and experiences of the Safety Committee.
Making sure any new members get a copy of this Handbook is one way to give
them some needed information.

In the very first chapter of this Handbook, we looked at some key elements of a
good Safety Committee. Those elements are exactly the same things that will
make your Safety Committee sustainable as well, and can help ensure that the
Safety Committee has a long and useful life in your workplace.

So let’s review a few of those suggestions that will help your safety Committee
remain useful and functioning for years.

Meet Regularly.
Get management support for the resources needed by the Safety
Committee. Those resources include time and space to do the work
of the Committee, training for Committee members, and availability
of outside expertise when needed.
Communicate about the work of the Committee.
Fix safety problems quickly and effectively.

70
Resources
This section provides an overview of resources available for Safety Committee
members, factory workers and their representatives to address workplace safety.

For more information, please visit https://rsc-bd.org/en/resource; on this page, you

will find a section dedicated to Safety Committees, where a number of key health &
safety materials are available in English.

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH (OSH) RESOURCES

Safety & Health Booklets for Workers:

Safe Evacuation & Safety Hazards in RMG Factories

https://rb.gy/ktpxol

Your Rights & Responsibilities to Ensure a Safe Workplace

https://rb.gy/a8gb3f

Health Hazards & Right to a Safe Workplace

https://rb.gy/qm1jzo

ILO Country Office for Bangladesh

Phone number: 0088-09-678777457

E-mail address: dhaka@ilo.org

RESOURCES FOR WORKERS & THE OSH COMPLAINTS

MECHANISM OPERATED BY THE RSC
OSH Complaints Mechanism Programme
Phone number: 0176-996-9000

IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (local IndustriALL Federation)

Phone numbers:
Z M Kamrul Anam
Mobile No. 01819-983935

Mr. Amirul Haque Amin

Mobile No. 01731-201302

Mr. Salauddin Shapon

Mobile No. 01915-707755

71
 Clean Clothes Campaign Urgent Appeal System (NGO)
https://cleanclothes.org/

Workers can contact Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) at

urgentappeal@cleanclothes.org when they see violations happen at their factory.
CCC will try and provide the solidarity needed to prevent, mitigate and remedy the
violations occurring.

Workers’ Rights Consortium (NGO)

https://www.workersrights.org/bn/

Workers can lodge a complaint with the Workers’ Rights Consortium by filling in the
form on this page https://www.workersrights.org/bn/kªwgKAwf‡hvM/

The WRC Field Representative in Bangladesh can be contacted at

bangladesh@workersrights.org.

LEGAL SUPPORT & RESOURCES

The Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, amended in 2013

- Workplace Safety Section
https://rb.gy/5sudbm
https://rb.gy/nmfxw4

The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE)

Phone number complaints department: 02-957 5587
Toll-free helpline RMG workers (MoLE DIFE): 0800-4455000

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST)

https://www.blast.org.bd

Phone numbers: 0088-02-8391970-2 / 8317185

E-mail address: mail@blast.org.bd

Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS)

https://bilsbd.org/

Phone numbers: +88-02-48118815 / 48113754 58151409 / 58151394

E-mail address:
bils@citech.net
bilslrsc@gmail.com

72
Bangladesh Center for Workers’ Solidarity (BCWS)
https://www.bcwsbd.org/

Phone number: 0088-02-55128239

E-mail address: info@bcwsbd.org

The Solidarity Centre

https://www.solidaritycenter.org/category/asia/bangladesh/

Phone numbers: 0088-02-984-8403, 01727-654623

E-mail address: scbangladesh@solidaritycenter.org

73
 Annex

1 RSC Inspections

RSC INSPECTION PROCEDURES

A brief look at SOME of the things RSC inspectors do when they go to

a factory to conduct an investigation.

Four kinds of inspections:

Fire
Electrical
Structural
Boiler

Before inspection:
Briefly meet with factory management to explain the inspection.

Review factory records, floor plans, electrical system maps, blueprints.

Ask questions about the age of the building, the number of employees working
on each floor, or when the building was last inspected, etc.

During Inspection:
Take extensive notes and photos of safety hazards / safety problems found.

If serious hazards / problems are found, alert management and require that it be
remedied immediately.

After Inspection:
Inspector may meet again with management to discuss hazards / problems or
gather more information.

The Inspection Report:

The report, with all hazards / problems needing remediation and recommended
timeline, is sent to management, to the brands, and to labour partners.

The Corrective Action Plan (CAP):

The RSC, management and Brands develop a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) based
on the inspection reports, spelling out needed remediation and dates for the
completion of the remedial work.

74
 Annex
Sample
2 Corrective Action Plan (CAP)

FIRE SAFETY
"From 1st June 2020 all inspections conducted by the RMG Sustainability Council.
Before 1st June 2020 all inspections conducted by the Stichting Bangladesh Accord Foundation."

REMEDIATION SUMMARY OF ACTIONS REQUIRED

NOTE: THIS FACTORY RECEIVED INITIAL INSPECTIONS FROM ACCORD IN 2015

Date: 02-Dec-2015
Factory Name & Address
Date of Inspection

Finance Plan Agreed

Inspection Inspection Final Factory Inspection Progress

Item No
Observation Action Plan Action Plan Timeline Timeline Status

Verify insitu concrete Factory aleady

strength using existing submitted
cylinder strength data for DEA. Please
Verify concrete 4 columns at lowest 2 see photo
strengths in all levels (ground, and 1st attachment (within Pending
columns in floor). If existing cylinder ref#S-1 08/04/2015
1 STRUCTURAL strength information is 6-weeks) Verification
buildings 1 & 2
not available, then cores
shall be taken only after
full consideration of the
effects due to loss of
cross sectional area.
High Column Priority-1 :Maintain the Corrected and
Stresses on the current use of the floors verifed by RSC
circular columns & don’t change use or inspection
2. STRUCTURAL as indicated-de- increase occupation, team. 30/05/2014 10/06/2014 Corrected
tailed Engineering either of which could
Assessment increase loading.
required.

Storage was Remove all storage Corrected and

located in the from exit stairs and verifed by RSC
3. FIRE South stair at the egress paths. inspection 30/04/2014 Immediate Corrected
team.
ground floor.

75
 Annex

3 Hazard Control Pyramid

ELIMINATION/ ELIMINATES THE EXPOSURE

SUBSITUTION BEFORE IT CAN OCCUR
s
es
ven

ENGINEERING REQUIRES A
CONTROLS PYSICAL CHANGE
cti

TO THE WORKPLACE
ffe
gE
sin
rea

ADMINISTRATIVE & REQUIRES WORKER

WORK PRACTICE CONTROLS OR EMPLOYER TO
Inc

DO SOMETHING

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIRES

(INCLUDING RESPIRATORS) WORKER
TO WEAR
SOMETHING

Elimination or Substitution: Removes the hazard completely

Shutting off power at source before repairs to prevent electrocution.
Remove objects from overhead storage to prevent objects falling.

Engineering Controls: Requires a physical change to the workplace

Provide ventilation at source to remove dust.
Redesign workspace to avoid stress.

Administrative Controls: Requires worker or employer to DO something

Develop training about safe operation of machines.
Make workers aware of hazards with MSDS’s.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Requires worker to WEAR something

Facemasks or gloves.
Respirators for certain jobs.

76
 Annex

4 Workplace Inspections Guide

Workplace inspections are an important part of an Occupational Safety &

Health programme. Inspections are essential for monitoring workplace
health and safety and they are one of the fundamental ways of recognising,
evaluating and controlling hazards in the workplace.

ROLES IN WORKPLACE INSPECTIONS

Although the main responsibility for workplace inspections lies with management, an
effective Workplace Inspection programme requires collaboration between managers,
supervisors, workers, and the Occupational Safety & Health Committee. Employers,
workers, and the Occupational Safety & Health Committee all have roles to play in the
process.

Employers are to:

carry out regular workplace inspections, and provide the resources – human and
financial – to do so;
ensure all workers are provided with the education and training needed to understand
their responsibility and to co-operate witth those conducting workplace inspections;
consult with Safety Committees about scheduling workplace inspections;
ensure Safety Committees take an active role in workplace inspections;
review workplace inspections reports;
ensure recommendations for corrective action are implemented, monitored, evaluated
and communicated.

Workers are to:

participate in workplace inspections when requested;
make suggestions for corrective actions to those conducting workplace inspections;
take part in training or the development of safe work practices and procedures
required as the result of the workplace inspections.

77
 Safety Committees are to:
co-operate with the employer in scheduling workplace inspections;
actively participate in workplace inspections;
review all workplace inspections reports;
make recommendations for corrective action to the employer;
monitor implementation, follow-up, and evaluation of corrective actions;
regularly monitor the effectiveness of workplace inspections and make
recommendations for improvement when appropriate.

THERE ARE FOUR STEPS TO SETTING UP AN EFFECTIVE WORKPLACE

INSPECTION PROGRAMME:
1. Planning the inspection.
2. Conducting the physical inspection of premises.
3. Writing the report with recommendations.
4. Analysing inspection reports and following up on recommendations.

STEP 1: Planning the Inspection

Routine inspections should be performed by a team. The composition of the inspection
team may change, depending on which work areas are to be inspected.

Inspection teams typically include the workplace manager, the area supervisor, an
employee with a good knowledge of the various processes and procedures, and some
members of the workplace Safety and Health Committee.

When inspecting equipment and work practices, the team should be able to rely on an
expert, such as an engineer, an electrician, a mechanic or a material handler.

An effective inspection depends on the ability of the team members to identify hazards.
This requires a good knowledge and understanding of:

the nature of the factory tasks and operations;

the relevant safety requirements and standards;
the full range of hazards associated with equipment, machines,
processes and the work environment;
previous accidents and problematic work areas actions are
implemented and monitored.

78
STEP 2: Physical Inspection of Premises
No workplace can be considered perfectly safe. As a result, all areas of the workplace,
including offices, storage areas and maintenance areas need to be inspected. You
should also inspect areas that are not generally used as workplaces, such as parking
facilities, cafeterias and locker rooms.
When determining the number of inspections to be performed and how often they will
occur, the following points need to be considered:
the complexity of the factory operations or tasks to be inspected;
hazardous equipment requiring inspections at fixed intervals;
operations that pose a significant hazard, requiring separate and more frequent
inspections;
introduction of a new operation or new machine in the work place.
It is important to remember, however, that the entire work place must be inspected at
least twice a year.
To avoid possibly disastrous oversights, it is recommended that you prepare checklists
that identify all potential hazards. These lists should be reviewed on a regular basis to
ensure that they reflect changes to equipment or processes. Checklists might also be
revised because of what is learned through accident reports.
Some sample Checklists are included at the end of this booklet.
While conducting inspections, remember that it is important to immediately draw
people’s attention to any major hazard that may exist. Less important hazards can
await the final report. And although they may need to ask questions, members of the
inspection team should not unnecessarily interrupt the work of employees or in any
way seek to assign blame for hazards that may have been identified.

TIPS for Conducting Effective Workplace Inspections

Draw attention to the presence of any immediate danger. Other items can await the
final report.
Shut down and lock out any hazardous items that cannot be brought to a safe
operating standard until repaired.
Do not operate equipment. Ask the operator for a demonstration. If the operator of
any piece of equipment does not know what dangers maybe present, this is cause for
concern. Never ignore any item because you do not have knowledge to make an
accurate judgment of safety.
Look up, down, around and inside. Be thorough. Do not spoil inspections with a
once-over-lightly approach.
Clearly describe each hazard and its location in your notes.
Allow on-the-spot recording of all findings before they are forgotten.
Record what you have or have not examined in case inspections are interrupted.

79
 Ask questions, but do not unnecessarily disrupt work activities. This may interfere
with efficient assessment of the job function and may create a potentially hazardous
situation.

Consider the static (stop position) and dynamic (in motion) conditions of the item you
are inspecting. If a machine is shut down, consider postponing inspections until it is
functioning again.

When looking at equipment, processes or the environment, discuss as a group: “Can

any problem, hazard or accident come from this situation?

STEP 3: Writing Report

Management must be made aware of the problems found during an inspection in a
concise and factual manner. Good reports make it easier to obtain management’s support
for recommendations made as a result of inspections.

Inspections will only be truly effective if the findings are quickly passed on to managers with
the authority to take corrective action, and corrective action is immediately contemplated
and implemented.

STEP 4: Analysing Inspection Reports and Making Recommendations

In order for inspections to be a meaningful part of a safety and health programme, the
information collected must be put to use. No matter how well conducted, an inspection
will only be worthwhile if the concerns noted by the team are carefully examined and
appropriate corrective action is taken.

A few important things to remember about analysing inspection reports:

The analysis of inspection reports is one of the primary functions of the workplace
Safety & Health Committee.

At least one person on that Committee should have the authority to fix problems any
hazards found, by making sure the necessary corrective measures recommended by
the Safety & Health Committee are implemented.

Certain issues or problems may require the opinion of an expert, such as an engineer
or an industrial hygienist.

It is important to inform those performing the inspections of any follow-up measures

that are to be taken, in order to boost their motivation.

If, during an inspection, concerns are raised that pose an immediate danger, these
concerns should be immediately reported to the responsible supervisor or manager,
and corrective action should be taken at once.

It is also important that information obtained from inspections analysed in order to

determine which work areas have the most safety and health problems, and to identify
trends in safety and health issues.

80
A thorough and complete analysis of inspection reports can:
identify the need for training in certain areas;
explain why certain types of accidents occur in certain areas;
establish an order of priority for corrective action;
help to establish healthy work methods or improve existing methods.

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 Annex

5 Machine Safety Guide

MACHINE INJURIES

Most machine injuries are caused by two things:

1. Lack of Training for Operators and Mechanics

2. Poor Machine Maintenance

The best way to prevent machine injuries is to have good training programmes for
operators and mechanics, and have a thorough and effective maintenance programme.

Good Training
Training needs to go beyond just ‘how to operate’ a machine. Good training means that
operators and mechanics are well-trained about the safety features and safety
requirements of all machines they work on.

Effective Maintenance
A good maintenance programme doesn’t just fix machines when they are broken.
A good maintenance programme has a regular schedule of maintenance and upkeep,
trained mechanics who do the maintenance work, and a record-keeping system
for documenting when maintenance is done.

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SEWING MACHINES
Needle and eye guards always used and inspected regularly.
Adequate lighting that stays on when the motor is switched off.
‘V’ belt and pulley drives guarded and checked for tightness.
Seating that allows for good posture and ease of movement.
Overhead electrical wiring to avoid cables on floors.
Power off when threading and changing needles.
Remove feet from treadle when threading and changing needles.
Keep small tools – like scissors – away from moving parts.

CUTTING MACHINES
Use automatic adjustable guards to fully cover the exposed part of the cutting blade.
Clearly mark any danger areas where cutting blade is used restrict access by barriers.
Make sure warning signals operate to indicate when blade is in motion on motorised
and automatic cutting tables.
Use trip guards or other devices during operation to prevent access where lay-up
machines are in use.
Make five-finger chain mail gloves available for all operators. Make sure they fit and
are worn at all times during cutting work and when handling blades.
Make sure that electrical conductors are in good condition.
Regularly check the condition of the light, guard and table fittings.
Establish and use an effective cleaning system that prevents buildup of fluff, fly and off
cuts.
Establish a safe system for changing and disposing of cutter blades, making sure old
blades are disposed of in a safe manner that precludes their use as DIY hand knives.

MACHINE MAINTENANCE
Maintenance mechanics should be trained by machine manufacturers on a regular
basis to stay current with machinery in use.
Mechanics should use personal protective equipment and appropriate tools for the job.
Maintenance work should be done using the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions.
Use downtime for machine maintenance.
Keep maintenance schedules and records for all machines, and review the records
regularly.
Maintenance mechanics should be trained in the safety features of all machines they
work on.

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 SAFETY TIPS FOR RMG MACHINES:
DO’S AND DON’T’S OF MACHINE MAINTENANCE

DO…
Make sure maintenance is done by trained and experienced mechanics.
Train mechanics on safety features of all machines they work on.
Do maintenance regularly – use the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions
as a guide, particularly if there are safety-critical features.
Tell workers to report damaged or faulty equipment immediately.
Provide the proper tools for maintenance mechanics.
Provide Personal Protective Equipment to mechanics.
Schedule major maintenance during downtime to minimise the risk to
mechanics and other workers.
Make sure maintenance is done safely, with machines and moving parts shut
down and locked.
Properly handle all flammable, explosive or toxic material.

DON’T…
Ignore regularly scheduled maintenance.
Ignore reports of damaged or unsafe equipment.
Use faulty or damaged machinery before it has been repaired.
Never override machine safety features.
Never modify machinery without manufacturer’s consent and training.

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 Annex

6 Fire Safety Guide

This short guide is for Safety Committees. It contains basic information

about Fire Safety and Protection that will help Safety Committees
evaluate and improve Fire Safety at their workplaces. For further
information about Fire Safety, please contact the RSC office.

1. Fire Prevention
2. Early Warning of Fire
3. Safe Exiting
4. Containment of Fire

FIRE PREVENTION

HEAT
Smoking
Plant & Equipment
Hot work
Electrical Safety
HEAT Arson

FIRE
PREVENTION FUEL
Fammable materials
Flammable liquids
OXYGEN FUEL Cleanliness & housekeeping

TheFire
The FirePrevention
PreventionDiagram
Diagram OXYGEN
Oxygen safeguards

A fire needs three elements – heat, oxygen and fuel. Without heat, oxygen and fuel
a fire will not start or spread. A key strategy to prevent fire is to remove one or
more of heat, oxygen or fuel. A risk assessment of fire should include details on all
three elements to minimise the risk of a fire starting/spreading.

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 HEAT
What sources of heat exist in the workplace, and how are these sources being
controlled?

Smoking
Provide no-smoking signs at appropriate locations.
Ensure smoking area(s) are away from combustible materials.
Arrange for cigarettes and matches to be disposed of safely and away from
other combustible rubbish.

Equipment
Equipment which is not properly maintained can cause fires.
Ensure all work equipment protects against catching fire or overheating.
Ensure proper housekeeping, such as preventing ventilation points on machinery
becoming clogged with dust or other materials – causing overheating.
Have electrical equipment serviced regularly by a competent person to prevent
sparks and fires.
Properly clean and maintain heat producing equipment such as dye machines,
boilers (inspected and tested yearly), cutting machines. Require storage of
flammables away from this equipment.
Use a planned maintenance programme to properly maintain equipment. Review
your programme if you already have one.
A planned maintenance programme should deal with:
frictional heat (caused by loose drive belts, bearings which are not properly
lubricated or other moving parts);
electrical malfunction;
combustible materials used in contact with hot surfaces;
leaking valves or flanges which allow seepage of flammable liquids or gases;
static sparks.

Hot work or operations

Hot work often arises from construction and/ or maintenance activities. Hot work
is work that might generate sufficient heat, sparks or flame to cause a fire. Hot
work includes welding, flame cutting, soldering, grinding and other equipment
incorporating a flame, e.g. tar boilers, etc. Hot work can be very dangerous and
stringent controls must be in place.
Identify all hot work.
Only allow hot work if no satisfactory alternative.
Ensure relevant contractors are aware of hot work procedures and controls.
Use a hot work permit system including:
fire-resistant protective clothing;
clear responsibility;

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 logging and audit processes;
routine checking and supervision;
item to be worked on removed to safe area;
remove or protect combustible or combustible materials;
prevent, suppress and control sparks;
prevent, suppress and control heat;
provision of and training on suitable fire-fighting equipment;
provision of a separate person to fire-watch and use fire-fighting
equipment – the fire watcher;
particular precautions for special risks, e.g. confined space;
leave workplace clean and safe;
final check of area at least 60 minutes after completed job and
certainly prior to premises being vacated.

Electrical
All electrical equipment and installations designed, constructed, installed, maintained,
protected, and used to prevent danger.
Get a qualified electrical contractor to carry out installation and repairs to electrical
equipment and fittings.
Maintain proper pest control to avoid rodent damage to electric wiring and equipment.
Check electrical equipment and remove defective equipment.
Ensure electrical cords are in good condition.

Arson
Deliberately started fires pose very significant risks to all types of workplace.

The possibility of arson should be considered as a component of your risk assessment and it
is one that you can do much to control. The majority of deliberately started fires occur in
areas with a known history of vandalism or fire-setting. Typically, local youths light the fires
outside the premises as an act of vandalism, using materials found nearby. Appropriate
security measures, including the protection of stored materials and the efficient and prompt
removal of rubbish, can therefore do much to alleviate this particular problem.

You should therefore seek advice from the local fire authority who will involve the other
agencies as appropriate. Occasionally, arson attacks in the workplace are committed by
employees or exemployees.Employers and other workers should be aware of this potential
threat and be alert for early signs, such as a series of unexplained small fires.

Provide adequate security: exterior/interior lighting, intrusion alarms, guard service,

well-secured access openings.
Prevent access by unauthorised personnel.
Keep flammables properly stored and secured.

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 FUEL
What sources of fuel exist in the workplace? How are these being safely handled?

Combustible materials
Identify all combustible materials so that proper controls can be put in place.
Identify use of substances with flammable vapors (e.g. some adhesives).
Reduce quantities of combustible materials to the smallest amount necessary
for running the business and keep away from escape routes.
Replace highly combustible materials with less flammable ones.
Store remaining stocks of highly combustible materials properly outside, in a
separate building, or separated from the main workplace by fire-resisting
construction.
Provide clearly marked separate storage for flammable chemicals, gas cylinders,
and waste materials.
Train employees on safe storage, handling and use of combustible materials.
Keep stocks of office stationery and supplies and flammable cleaners’ materials
in separate cupboards or stores. They should be fire-resisting with a fire door if
they open onto a corridor or stairway escape route.

Flammable liquids
Flammable liquids can present a significant risk of fire. Vapors evolved are
usually heavier than air and can travel long distances, so are more likely to
reach a source of ignition. Liquid leaks and dangerous vapors can arise from
faulty storage (bulk and containers), plant and process – design, installation,
maintenance or use. Ignition of the vapors from flammable liquids remains a
possibility until the concentration of the vapor in the air has reduced to a level
which will not support combustion.
The quantity of flammable liquids in workrooms should be kept to a minimum,
normally no more than a half-day’s or half a shifts supply.
Flammable liquids, including empty or part-used containers, should be stored
safely. Small quantities (Tens of Liters) of flammable liquids can be stored in the
workroom if in closed containers in a fireresisting (e.g. metal), bin or cabinet
fitted with means to contain any leaks.
Larger quantities should be stored in a properly designated store, either in the
open air (on well ventilated, impervious ground, away from ignition sources) or
in a suitably constructed storeroom.
Where large quantities of flammable liquids are used they should, where possible,
be conveyed by piping them through a closed system. Where a connection in such
a system is frequently uncoupled and remade, a sealed-end coupling device
should be used.
Flammable liquids should not be decanted within the storeroom. Decanting
should take place in a well-ventilated area set aside for this purpose, with
appropriate facilities to contain and clear up any spillage.
Container lids should always be replaced after use, and no container should
ever be opened in such a way that it cannot be safely resealed.

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 Flammable liquids should be stored and handled in well ventilated conditions.
Where necessary,additional properly designed exhaust ventilation should be
provided to reduce the level of vapor concentration in the air.
Storage containers should be kept covered and proprietary safety containers with
self-closing lids should be used for dispensing and applying small quantities of
flammable liquids.
There should be no potential ignition sources in areas where flammable liquids
are used or stored and flammable concentrations of vapor may be present at
any time. Any electrical equipment used in these areas, including fire alarm
and emergency lighting systems, needs to be suitable for use in flammable
atmospheres.

Cleanliness and housekeeping

Avoid accumulations of combustible rubbish and waste and remove at least daily
and store away from the building.
Flammable or combustible rubbish should not be stored, even as a temporary
measure, in escape routes such as corridors, stairways or lobbies, or where it can
come into contact with potential sources of heat.
Parts of the workplace which are not normally occupied, such as basements,
store rooms and any area where a fire could grow unnoticed, should be regularly
inspected and cleared of non-essential combustible materials and substances.
You should also protect such areas against entry by unauthorised people.
If the workplace has waste land nearby, you should keep any undergrowth under
control so that a fire cannot spread through dry grass, for example.
Rags and cloths which have been used to mop up or apply flammable liquids
should be disposed of in metal containers with well-fitting lids and removed from
the workplace at the end of each shift or working day.

Safety data sheets

Safety data sheets provide useful information on chemicals and handling, storage
and emergency measures. A safety data sheet should be provided with any
hazardous chemical and includes useful information.
Handle material in accordance with the advice on the safety data sheet.
Keep safety data sheets readily available.
Keep safety data sheets safely available in the event of a fire so that the
information is available for emergency services.

OXYGEN
Is oxygen being used in the factory? Oxygen gas is used in welding, flame cutting
and other similar processes.
The air we breathe contains about 21% oxygen. Pure oxygen at high pressure, such
as from a cylinder,can react violently with common materials such as oil and
grease. Other materials may catch fire spontaneously. Nearly all materials
including textiles, rubber and even metals will burn vigorously in oxygen.

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 With even a small increase in the oxygen level in the air to 24%, it becomes easier to start
a fire, which will then burn hotter and more fiercely than in normal air. It may be almost
impossible to put the fire out.
A leaking valve or hose in a poorly ventilated room or confined space can quickly increase
the oxygen concentration to a dangerous level.
The main causes of fires and explosions when using oxygen are:
oxygen enrichment from leaking equipment;
use of materials not compatible with oxygen;
use of oxygen in equipment not designed for oxygen service;
incorrect or careless operation of oxygen equipment.

When oxygen is used

Be aware of the dangers of oxygen if in doubt, ask.
Prevent oxygen enrichment by ensuring that equipment is leak-tight and in good
working order.
Check that ventilation is adequate.
Always use oxygen cylinders and equipment carefully and correctly.
Always open oxygen cylinder valves slowly.
Do not smoke where oxygen is being used.
Never use replacement parts which have not been specifically approved for oxygen
service.
Never use oxygen equipment above the pressures certified by the manufacturer.
Never use oil or grease to lubricate oxygen equipment.
Never use oxygen in equipment which is not designed for oxygen service.

FIRE PREVENTION
The Fire Prevention Plan
Every workplace should have a Fire Prevention Plan, which includes the following:

List of Major Workplace Hazards. The fire prevention plan should include a list of the
major workplace fire hazards and their proper handling and storage procedures, potential
ignition sources (e.g., welding, smoking, and others) and their control procedures (e.g.,
permits), and the type of fire protection equipment or systems that can control a fire
involving them.

Personnel Responsible for Maintenance. Included in the plan should be the names or
regular job titles of the personnel who are responsible for the maintenance of equipment
and systems installed to prevent or control ignitions or fires.

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 Personnel Responsible for Fuel Source Hazards. The fire prevention plan should
include the names or regular job titles of the personnel who are responsible for the control
of fuel source hazards.
Housekeeping. The fire prevention plan requires employers to control the accumulations
of flammable and combustible waste materials and residues so that they do not contribute
to a fire emergency. For example, a company may establish a limit on how much of a
specific flammable or combustible liquid is stored on site.
Housekeeping procedures are included in the written fire prevention plan to specify the
limits that have been established for routine use amounts of potential fuels, such as
flammable and combustible liquids, and for waste or residual materials.
Training. Employers must make employees aware of the fire hazards of the materials and
processes with which they work.
equipment and systems installed on heat-producing equipment to prevent the accidental
ignition of Combustible materials and these maintenance procedures must be included in
the written fire prevention plan.

EARLY WARNING OF FIRE

Early warning of fire is achieved
through automatic fire alarm systems.
Automatic fire alarm systems are
required in all garment factories. Fire
alarms can be initiated automatically
by smoke detectors or heat detectors,
or manually by call points. The alarm
then sounds by means of bells or horns
Smoke Detector Heat Detector
in order to notify the occupants to
evacuate the building.

Fire alarm & detection system

All garment factories are required to
have an automatic fire alarm system
that activates the alarm and occupant
notification devices by manual or
automatic initiating devices (e.g. smoke
Manual Fire Alarm Fire Alarm Control Panel detector, heat detector, sprinkler water
Call Point flow) in the event of fire.

In factories where complete automatic

sprinkler protection is provided
throughout a floor with water flow
devices designed to initiate the alarm
notification, smoke and fire detection
devices can be eliminated throughout
that floor.
Audible Notification Visual Notification
Device Device

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 CONTAINING THE FIRE
Containment of a fire is achieved by creating fire compartments using fire resistant walls
and floors. Fire barriers are required from floor to floor in multi-story buildings, around
certain rooms within the building, and to enclose exit stairwells. Sprinkler systems serve two
functions: detecting the fire for immediate evacuation; and containing the fire at its source.

Fire separations and fire compartments

Fire separations are provided within buildings to limit the spread of fire. Certain rooms,
areas, and occupancies in buildings are generally fire separated into fire compartments.
These fire compartments limit fire spread for a specified period of time intended to allow
persons to escape and to limit fire growth until the fire department extinguishes the fire.

Consider a fire compartment to be a box. Most buildings have many fire compartments
(boxes), which are situated side by side and on top of each other. Each fire compartment
has walls, a floor and a ceiling. The walls are fire separations that limit the spread of fire
horizontally from one fire compartment to an adjoining fire compartment. The top and
bottom of each fire compartment are often referred to as floor assemblies when they
separate one story from another. The floor assemblies are fire separations that limit the
spread of fire vertically from one fire compartment to another.

Fire separations can be constructed of combustible or non-combustible elements or a

combination of materials. For example, masonry walls and reinforced concrete floor slab
assemblies are considered to be non-combustible. Due to the physical characteristics of the
materials, they have substantial strength and will effectively limit the spread of fire provided
the assembly has been properly constructed and maintained.

The design and types of material used in the construction of a fire separation will determine
its fireresistance rating. The fire-resistance rating of a fire separation means the time in
hours or fractions thereof that a material or assembly of materials will withstand the
passage of flame and transmission of heat when exposed to fire under specified conditions of
test and performance criteria.

SAFE EXITING
Safe Exiting is accomplished by providing necessary exits (at least two), and ensuring that
the exits remain free of smoke and fire by requiring fire barriers around the exit stairs.
Locks are not permitted on exits.

Means of egress
A means of egress is a continuous and unobstructed way of exit travel from any point in a
building to a public way. A means of egress consists of three parts: exit access, exit, and exit
discharge. Exit access is the path from any location within a building to an exit. An exit is
typically a door leading to the outside or, in a multi-story building, an enclosed exit stairway.
Exit discharge is the path from the exit to the public way. A public way is a space that is
permanently deeded and dedicated to public use, most often a street or lane.

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Basic requirements for Egress:
For any floor with only two exits, the maximum occupant load should not exceed 500
people.
For any floor with only three exits, the maximum occupant load should not exceed 1000
people.
For rooms with more than 49 occupants, doors must swing in the direction of egress (the
doors must swing out of the room).
For areas with more than 49 occupants, doors should be equipped with panic hardware
(crash bars).
Exit doors should lead to an exit stair enclosure, or directly to the exterior of the building.
Egress routes should not pass through adjacent rooms, and should not pass through
hazardous areas (such as kitchens, storage rooms, loading docks).
Exit doors must not be equipped with locking hardware that would allow an occupant to be
locked inside the room or space. Exit doors should also not be equipped with secondary
locking devices, such as a deadbolt or slide bolt, etc.
It should be possible to open any designated exit door using a single motion, without the
use of a key, tool, or special knowledge.
Each occupant must be provided with at least 4mm of egress width for exit doors. For
example, if the exit door is 32 inches wide, a maximum of 200 occupants could egress
through that door. Stairs require 8mm per person. The rules for minimum number of exits
still apply.
Exterior exit stairs: If the exit stair connect three or fewer stories, the stair shall be
separated from the building with 1-hr rated construction and if it connects four or more
stories then shall be separated from the building with 2-hr rated construction.
Exterior exit stairs shall be separated from the building with the required ratings. An
exit passageway is an exit component that is separated from other interior spaces of a
building or structure by fire resistance-rated construction and opening protection, and
provides for a protected path of egress in a horizontal direction to the exit discharge or the
public way.
Exit passageways shall be considered an extension of the stairs and shall not be used
for any other purpose.
Exit passageways shall have walls, ceilings, and floors that meet the same rating
requirement as the exit that is being served and shall not be less than 1-hr fire- resistance
rated construction.
Exit passageways shall terminate at an exit discharge.
The maximum travel distance to reach an exit from any point in the building shall not
exceed 45 meters, with the following exceptions:
travel distance limitations shall be increased to 60 m (200 ft) where a complete
automatic fire detection system, portable fire extinguishers, and standpipe system are
provided;
travel distance limitations shall be increased to 122 m (400 ft) where a complete
automatic sprinkler system, automatic fire alarm system, and portable fire extinguishers
are provided.

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 Annex

7 Fire Safety Guide

SAMPLE ELECTRICAL SAFETY CHECKLIST

Are only qualified persons allowed to work on electrical equipment
and are they familiar with electrical safety rules?
Are lockout and tag procedures required when electrical equipment
is serviced?
Are portable hand-held electrical tools and equipment grounded or
double-insulated?
Are machines – sewing machines, cutting machines – grounded?
Do extension cords have a ground prong?
Are damaged wiring or frayed cords repaired or replaced promptly?
Do flexible cords or cables have strain relief at plug ends and is the
cord jacket securely held in place?
If you work in damp or wet areas, are your electrical tools and
equipment approved for that kind of work?
Are metal ladders prohibited from use in areas where there could be
exposure to energised parts of equipment or circuit conductors?
Are all disconnecting switches labeled to indicate which equipment
they serve?
Are energised parts of electrical equipment operating at 50 volts or
more enclosed in approved cabinets?
Is there sufficient access and working space around all electrical
equipment?
Are all unused openings in breaker boxes plugged or covered?
Is the use of each circuit breaker properly labeled?
Do switches, receptacles, and junction boxes have tight-fitting
covers or face plates?
Are employees forbidden from working within 10 feet of high-voltage
(over 600 volts) lines?

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 Annex

8 Fire Safety Guide

GENERAL ISSUES
1. Does the plan consider all potential natural or man-made emergencies
that could disrupt your workplace?
Common sources of emergencies identified in emergency action plans include –
fires, explosions, floods, typhoons, toxic material releases, biological accidents, civil
disturbances and workplace violence.

2. Does the plan consider all potential internal sources of emergencies

that could disrupt your workplace?
Conduct a hazard assessment of the workplace to identify any physical or chemical
hazards that may exist and could cause an emergency.

3. Does the plan consider the impact of these internal and external
emergencies on the workplace’s operations and is the response
tailored to the workplace?
Brainstorm worst case scenarios asking yourself what you would do and what
would be the likely impact on your operation and devise appropriate responses.

4. Does the plan contain a list of key personnel with contact information as
well as contact information for local emergency responders, agencies
and contractors?
Keep your list of key contacts current and make provisions for an emergency
communications system such as a cellular phone, a portable radio unit, or other
means so that contact with local law enforcement, the fire department, and others
can be swift.

5. Does the plan contain the names, titles, departments, and telephone
numbers of individuals to contact for additional information or an
explanation of duties and responsibilities under the plan?
List names and contact information for individuals responsible for implementation
of the plan.

6. Does the plan address how rescue operations will be performed?

Unless you are a large employer handling hazardous materials and processes or
have employees regularly working in hazardous situations, you will probably choose
to rely on local public resources, such as the fire department, who are trained,
equipped, and certified to conduct rescues. Make sure any external department or
agency identified in your plan is prepared to respond as outlined in your plan.
Untrained individuals may endanger themselves and those they are trying to rescue.

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 7. Does the plan address how medical assistance will be provided?
Most small employers do not have a formal internal medical programme and make
arrangements with medical clinics or facilities close by to handle emergency cases
and provide medical and first-aid services to their employees. If an infirmary, clinic,
or hospital is not close to your workplace, ensure that onsite person(s) have
adequate training in first aid. Fire departments, or other local agencies may be able
to provide this training. Treatment of a serious injury should begin within 3 to 4
minutes of the accident. Consult with a physician to order appropriate first-aid
supplies for emergencies. Establish a relationship with a local ambulance service
so transportation is readily available for emergencies.

8. Does the plan identify how or where personal information on employees

can be obtained in an emergency?
In the event of an emergency, it could be important to have ready access to
important personal information about your employees. This includes their home
telephone numbers, the names and telephone numbers of their next of kin, and
medical information.

EVACUATION POLICY AND PROCEDURES

1. Does the plan identify the conditions under which an evacuation would
be necessary?
The plan should identify the different types of situations that will require an
evacuation of the workplace. This might include a fire or chemical spill. The extent
of evacuation may be different for different types of hazards.

2. Does the plan identify a clear chain of command and designate a

person authorised to order an evacuation or shutdown of operations?
It is common practice to select a responsible individual to lead and coordinate
your emergency plan and evacuation. It is critical that employees know who
the coordinator is and understand that this person has the authority to make
decisions during emergencies. The coordinator should be responsible for
assessing the situation to determine whether an emergency exists requiring
activation of the emergency procedures, overseeing emergency procedures,
notifying and coordinating with outside emergency services, and directing
shutdown of utilities or plant operations if necessary.

NOTE: in the case of a fire alarm, it must be made clear to employees that they
should evacuate immediately without waiting for authorisation from anyone.

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3. Does the plan address the types of actions expected of different
employees for the various types of potential emergencies?
The plan may specify different actions for employees depending on the emergency.
For example, employers may want to have employees assemble in one area of the
workplace if it is threatened by an earthquake but evacuate to an exterior location
during a fire.

4. Does the plan designate who, if anyone, will stay to shut down critical
operations during an evacuation?
You may want to include in your plan locations where utilities (such as electrical
and gas utilities) can be shut down for all or part of the facility. All individuals
remaining behind to shut down critical systems or utilities must be capable of
recognising when to abandon the operation or task and evacuate themselves.

5. Does the plan outline specific evacuation routes and exits and are
these posted in the workplace where they are easily accessible to all
employees?
Most employers create maps from floor diagrams with arrows that designate the
exit route assignments. These maps should include locations of exits, assembly
points and equipment (such as fire extinguishers or first aid kits) that may be
needed in an emergency. Exit routes should be clearly marked and well lit, wide
enough to accommodate the number of evacuating personnel, unobstructed and
clear of debris at all times, and unlikely to expose evacuating personnel to
additional hazards.

6. Does the plan address procedures for assisting people during evacuations,
particularly those with disabilities or do not speak Bengali?
Many employers designate individuals as evacuation wardens to help move employees
from danger to safe areas during an emergency. Generally, one warden for every 20
employees should be adequate, and the appropriate number of wardens should be
available at all times during working hours. Wardens may be responsible for checking
offices and bathrooms before being the last person to exit an area as well as ensuring
that fire doors are closed when exiting. Employees designated to assist in emergency
evacuation procedures should be trained in the complete workplace layout and various
alternative escape routes. Employees designated to assist in emergencies should be
made aware of employees with special needs (who may require extra assistance
during an evacuation), how to use the buddy system, and any hazardous areas to avoid
during an emergency evacuation.

7. Does the plan identify one or more assembly areas (as necessary for
different types of emergencies) where employees will gather and a
method for accounting for all employees?
Accounting for all employees following an evacuation is difficult but important to
do. Confusion in the assembly areas can lead to delays in rescuing anyone trapped
in the building, or unnecessary and dangerous search-and-rescue operations.

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 To ensure the fastest, most accurate accounting of your employees, consider
taking a head count after the evacuation. The names and last known locations of
anyone not accounted for should be passed on to the official in charge.

8. Does the plan address how visitors will be assisted in evacuation and
accounted for?
Some employers have all visitors and contractors sign in when entering the
workplace. The hosts and/or area wardens, if established, are often tasked with
assisting these individuals evacuate safely.

REPORTING EMERGENCIES AND ALERTING EMPLOYEES IN AN EMERGENCY

1. Does the plan identify a preferred method for reporting fires and
other emergencies?
An emergency phone call is the common method for reporting emergencies if
external responders are utilised. Internal numbers may be used. Internal numbers
are sometimes connected to intercom systems so that coded announcements may
be made. In some cases employees are requested to activate manual pull stations
or other alarm systems.

2. Does the plan describe the method to be used to alert employees,

including disabled workers, to evacuate or take other action?
Make sure alarms are distinctive and recognised by all employees as a signal to
evacuate the work area or perform other actions identified in your plan. Sequences
of horn blows or different types of alarms (bells, horns, etc.) can be used to signal
different responses or actions from employees. Consider making available an emergency
communications system, such as a public address system, for broadcasting emergency
information to employees. Ideally alarms will be able to be heard, seen, or otherwise
perceived by everyone in the workplace including those that may be blind or deaf.
Otherwise floor wardens or others must be tasked with ensuring all employees are
notified. You might want to consider providing an auxiliary power supply in the
event of an electrical failure.

EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND DRILLS

1. Does the plan identify how and when employees will be trained so
that they understand the types of emergencies that may occur, their
responsibilities and actions as outlined in the plan?
Training should be offered employees when you develop your initial plan and when
new employees are hired. Employees should be retrained when your plan changes
due to a change in the layout or design of the facility, when new equipment,
hazardous materials, or processes are introduced that affect evacuation routes, or
when new types of hazards are introduced that require special actions. General
training for your employees should address:

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 idual roles and responsibilities.
Threats, hazards, and protective actions.
Notification, warning, and communications procedures.
Emergency response procedures.
Evacuation, shelter, and accountability procedures.
Location and use of common emergency equipment.
Emergency shutdown procedures.

2. Does the plan address how and when retraining will be conducted?
If training is not reinforced it will be forgotten. Consider retaining employees
annually.

3. Does the plan address if and how often drills will be conducted?
Once you have reviewed your emergency action plan with your employees and
everyone has had the proper training, it is a good idea to hold practice drills as
often as necessary to keep employees prepared. Include outside resources such
as fire and police departments when possible. After each drill, gather anagement
and employees to evaluate the effectiveness of the drill. Identify the strengths and
weaknesses of your plan and work to improve it.

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Notes

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Notes

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 RSC

DELIVERING WORLD-CLASS SUSTAINABLE

WORKPLACE SAFETY PROGRAMMES