News about Our Work - 05 July 2017 Explosion in Bangladesh textile factory with dead and injured highlights why safety verification of boilers must be part of Bangladesh Accord Fire protection equipment. Photo: © Pieter van de Boogert Berlin. In the Multifabs Ltd. factory in Bangladesh, a heating boiler exploded on Tuesday, July 4, 2017. At least 10 people were killed and many more injured. The explosion was so violent that parts of the factory collapsed. The factory is part of the Accord for Fire and Building Safety. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) therefore calls on the companies involved in the Accord to include the safety testing of heating boilers immediately in the safety inspections of the factories. Initial research revealed that the following companies are buyers at Multifabs Ltd. Aldi Nord, Aldi Süd, Metro AG, Takko, Dansk Supermarked, Lindex, Stockmann. Other companies that list the factory website as a customer are: Gorfactory, HFG, Hubermasche, Littlewoods, Mitsubishi Corporation Fashion, Newbody, Rex Holm, ScanWear, Seppälä and Zolla. The tragic incident illustrates the danger posed by inadequate maintenance and inspection of boilers. The testing of boilers is not yet part of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety. So far, this only provides that the boiler room must be fire-proof and separated from the rest of the factory. Fireproof heating rooms alone are not enough, because the explosion of a defective boiler, as with Multifabs on Tuesday, can be so violent that walls can collapse and so the fire can spread unhindered. The NGOs, including the CCC, who are witnessing the implementation of the Accord, have been calling for an extension of inspections since 2014 to cover heating boilers as well. There should not always be tragic accidents such as Rana Plaza and Tazreen in the textile industry before companies take measures to improve safety in the factories. The Accord, which has just been extended, must also include the verification of other sources of danger in its programme. These include faulty power generators, gas lines, and freight elevators. Multifabs Ltd. is also a supplier to members of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (a corporate initiative of US and Canadian companies). The Alliance also does not provide for a review of boilers. The Government of Bangladesh, brand companies of the Accord and Alliance, as well as factory owners are responsible for the compensation of the victims of the Multifabs Ltd explosion and must cover all treatment costs. It was only last week that it was decided to extend the Accord for another three years after the end of 2018. The CCC urges that all companies producing in Bangladesh sign this agreement to prevent further disasters. For more information: Press release on the extension of the Accord dated 03.07.2017 Recommendation of the NGOs of April 2017 to include boilers in security inspections of the Accord Contact: Laura Ceresna-Chaturvedi, Clean Clothes Campaign This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel: +49-30-420820252, mobile: +49-1636839353Gisela Burckhardt, FEMNET, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Mobile: Tel. 01520-1774080
