813 workers killed in 630 workplaces in last two and half years

A large number of workers were killed in various workplace accidents for lack of proper safety measures during the work.

Various workers including construction worker, factory worker and workshop worker do not use safety measures like wearing helmet, gloves, shoes etc while working.

According to Safety and Rights Society, some 813 workers were killed in 630 workplaces across the country in last two and half years.

The NGO working for ensuring safety and rights of workers, revealed the report after monitoring 26 daily newspapers (15 national and 11 local newspapers) during the period.

Some 265 workers killed in 2009, 383 workers were killed in 2010 and 165 workers were killed in the last six months (January – June, 2011).

Sekender Ali Mina, programme director of Safety and Rights, said the number of deaths set out in the report is likely be a severe underestimation of the total number of deaths, since many deaths are not reported in the newspapers.

Though many of the injured workers succumb to their injuries later following the accidents, in many cases follow-up reports are not published in the newspapers, he added.

In last six months, the highest number of workers (97) was killed in construction sites, while 29 died in factories and other manufacturing entities and 19 died in service organisations like hotel, workshop, and power supply organisation.

Of the total workers who died in last six month, 57 were electrocuted, 27 died after falling from high places like scaffolds/roofs, 12 workers died from suffocation in septic tanks and eight were burnt to death.

61 other workers died in other situations including boiler, chemical or gas explosions; earth, roof or wall collapsed; hit or crushed by hard or heavy objects and entangled with machines.

While visited many under construction building site this correspondent found most of the workers are unaware about the safety measures and they do not like to use safety equipments.

It is also found that the main reasons of workers fell from high places because of poorly made scaffolds (macha) and they did not use safety belt or harness.

On the other hand, most of the electrocutions occurred when the construction workers work with iron rods nearby high voltage live electric lines passing near the under-construction buildings.

Yusuf Ali, a construction worker (painter), said he is involved with painting for the last ten years and most of the time he works without any safety measures.

He also said, “While some developing firm force us to use safety equipments then we use it otherwise not.”

Safety and Rights suggests proper implementation of Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), 2006 through establishing the Code Enforcement Authority according to its Section 2.1 of Chapter-2.

It also suggests proper monitoring of regulatory bodies including RAJUK, factory inspectorate to enforce relevant laws, separate health and safety policy for respective organisation, safety plan before starting construction work, providing workers with proper PPE (personal protective equipment) free of cost, health and safety training and right technology for the right person.

Posted in: Worker