Bangladesh brings in new work safety measures following Rana Plaza collapse

24 Oct. 2013: Bangladesh and the International Labor Organization (ILO) launched a new garment sector safety campaign on Tuesday aimed at improving factory working conditions, six months after a garment factory complex building collapsed killing 1,132 people.
The new initiative, which aims to minimize fires and structural problems by the end of 2016, will target about half of the country’s 4,500 garment factories, which are yet to sign up to new safety directives. “Successful implementation of the programs will ensure better working conditions and safety for garment workers in Bangladesh,” said Gilbert Houngbo, the ILO’s director general for field operations and partnerships.
The move comes after the US suspended preferential trade status for Bangladesh following the Rana Plaza tragedy and a fire at the Tazreen Fashion factory in Dhaka which killed more than 110 people in November last year. Washington is due to review the measures in December. The European Union has also threatened a similar end to reduced tariffs on the country’s $ 20 billion garment industry.
Holland, Canada and the UK have donated $24 million to the safety campaign with a further $22 million expected from a collective of fashion brands which operate in the country. A recent survey by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology found that about 90 percent of the buildings housing factories were structurally unsafe. There have been several safety inspections since the Tazreen and Rana Plaza