Policymakers, stakeholders suggest industrial safety framework with defined roles for agencies

Policymakers and other stakeholders have suggested developing an industrial safety framework to define roles and responsibilities for different agencies which will be helpful to develop an occupational health and safety culture in the country.

At a policy dialogue on Thursday, they said many agencies are working on occupational health and safety issues in Bangladesh but there is no coordination among them.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) jointly organised the first Industrial Safety Forum (ISF) discussion at a city hotel.

The forum brought together national safety regulators, policymakers, academics, employers, workers' representatives, civil society members and development partners to discuss the development of a national industrial safety framework for Bangladesh.

The infrastructure and institutional preparedness for industrial safety is still at nascent stages in the country. In particular, building safety, occupational safety and health (OSH) and environmental sustainability remain outside the core activities in most industrial sectors.

The ISF aims to inspire and engage the relevant stakeholders to establish a sustainable and transparent industrial safety framework, which will act as a foundation for ensuring workplace safety in all industries across Bangladesh.

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun said the first forum provided a knowledge sharing platform for the stakeholders to collaborate for ensuring a safe working environment in industries.

"We have already updated the backdated labour laws. Some incidents, like the Nimtoli chemical accident and others, are hazardous. All the stakeholders who present here should be ware of safety and security in their industry," he added.

At the forum, Ehsan-E-Elahi, secretary to the labour ministry, stated that the ministry has formed two tri-partite committees to review and amend the labour law to maintain decent workplaces and industrial safety.

"For inclusive growth of the country, the government and the public bodies need to work with the employers and the civil society collaboratively," he added.

Tuomo Poutiainen, country director of ILO Bangladesh, said, "ISF provided a platform to discuss, engage and collaborate for improving workplace safety and health in all economic sectors across Bangladesh."

"We hope the recommendations and commitments shared at the forum will drive the process of developing a national industrial safety framework," he added.

Ardashir Kabir, president of Bangladesh Employers' Federation (BEF), said the forum helps to create synergy to work together for the common cause of raising industrial safety standards.

Shamim Ara, the chairperson of the National Coordination Committee for Workers' Education (NCCWE), said safety at workplaces not only keeps workers secure but it also improves worker-employer relationships, increases productivity, and takes the country forward.

Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of CPD, emphasised ensuring a safe culture in industries across Bangladesh.

He said authorities are working to oversee the safety related issues but it is not yet clear who will see which issue. In some cases, there is duplication in their responsibilities.

"Everyone has a common goal to make sure a safe working environment through licencing, registration, inspection. Those processes help to create a safety culture inside a factory – which helps them to identify and solve any weakness or legal issues," he added.

ISF held two technical sessions on the "Role of Public Institutions in Developing Industrial Safety Framework" and "Employers' Role in Implementing OSH Regulations in the Industry".

Experts representing government officials, private sector and labour leaders shared their opinions at the sessions.