FBCCI president urges industry owners to invest in decent workplaces

Occupational safety and health (OSH) should be ensured in all industries of the country as a safe industry is crucial in the transition from LDCs to developing countries, said Md Jashim Uddin, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI).

Many sectors produce world-class products and ensuring a decent workplace will pave the way to export these products, said the FBCCI president while inaugurating a two-day training workshop titled "Basic OSH and OSH Management System" at FBCCI on Saturday, said a press release.

Urging the industry owners to come forward to ensure occupational safety and health, he said a decent workplace would increase the productivity of the workforce, hence, entrepreneurs should consider spending on safety as an investment.

FBCCI Safety Council, in association with International Labour Organisation (ILO), organised the workshop to ensure occupational safety and health. The safety cell representatives from four chambers and 12 associations and ILO representatives participated in the training workshop.

Md Jashim Uddin said that in the post-LDC period, the issues of occupational safety and health will become more important for Bangladesh in the arena of international trade. Keeping the future challenges in mind, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority in association with FBCCI has inspected about 5,200 factories.

FBCCI Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu said that FBCCI is committed to transforming the country's industries safer. In this connection, FBCCI has established a safety council.

Brigadier General (Retd) Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah, advisor of the Safety Council, informed that safety committees and safety units will be formed at the factory level of the industry through the Safety Council.

He believes that if factory workers are given proper safety training, accidents will be reduced.

The two-day workshop will train the participants in strengthening occupational safety and health, roles and responsibilities of safety cells, the importance of OSH, concepts and benefits of OSH, hazard and risk identification and assessment, legislative framework, OSH Law and rules, OSH management, steps of effective OSH implementation, roles of owner and employees, the responsibility of safety committee members, fire safety, rescue and first aid, occupational accidents and work-related illness and diseases, internal communication and knowledge management in implementing OSH.