Bangladesh
Worker health and safety remained a priority for the cluster in Bangladesh. In particular, activities directed at fire prevention were intensified this year and the cluster actively participated in several platforms, such as the Buyers Forum Bangladesh and ILO/BETTER WORK, local trade unions and the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) with the aim of standardising criteria in an effort to work together to improve safety conditions within the factories and ensure the rights of workers in Bangladesh.
Among the activities carried out in 2012, the following are worth special mention:
- 55 factories were given special training and received specific fire-prevention documentation
- 48 individual meetings with suppliers and factories
- 44 competence visits to factories directed at ensuring compliance with the Code of Conduct for Manufacturers and Suppliers
- 32 external auditors were trained in Inditex’s social audit methodology when conducting social audits
- Verification of water potability in more than 90 factories
The cluster also participated in setting up and equipping a laboratory in Bangladesh, as a result of an agreement between Inditex and the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) to work together to develop a product health and safety system for the textile sector in Bangladesh.
More information about the clusters can be found in the Sustainability Balance Sheet.
