Alliance launches new training course

The North American clothing brands' platform has announced the launch of a new training course for security guards at readymade garment factories.

It made the announcement at a press conference held at Alliance's Bangladesh office on Monday.

The announcement coincided with the second anniversary of Tazreen Fashions fire that killed 112 workers in 2012.

Alliance has also confirmed that unlike Accord it will not prepare a vendor list for procuring fire safety equipment.

The training course has been designed on the recommendations of National Fire Protection Association and aims to help raise quick response capability of the security guards in the event of a fire.

This new course is complementary to Alliance's existing fire safety training programme for the workers of its factories. The new course also includes session for factory managers.

A worker named ‘Sabina’ who miraculously escaped the Tazreen Fashions fire, was also present at the press conference.

She told everyone how she had survived and appreciated Alliance's ongoing training programme for workers. She also requested factory owners not to lock the emergency exit door.

The training course will be implemented through 'Train the Trainers' programme in cooperation with the security service provider G4S.

The Institution of Occupational Health and Safety-certified training manual was prepared by fire safety expert Dr David Gold. All the participants will receive certificates at the end of the training.

European clothing brands' platform Accord had recently prepared a list of vendors for procurement of fire safety equipment. When bdnews24.com asked Allaince advisor Ian Spaulding if they, too, had a similar plan, he said, "We don't have any such plan."

Spaulding said one of the reasons for organising annual fire safety equipment expo was to make factory owners aware about fire safety equipment – some of which are locally made and the rest are manufactured abroad.

Another reason was to increase the supply of fire safety equipment. But Bangladesh does not produce fire doors certified by UL, FM Global and other reputed certification bodies.

He stressed on production of quality fire safety equipment at home and abroad with proper certification and expressed his satisfaction over the gradual decline of duty on fire safety equipment.

Head of Man service of G4 Securities Brig Gen (Retd) Selim Akhter Khan said, "Vendor list is not important. Technical specifications are more important for fire safety equipment."

Dr David Gold said, “First role of a security guard during a fire is prevention; second is protection and third is evacuation (PPE). He needs to check whether the exit door is blocked or locked. As soon as the fire alarm goes off his job is to ensure safe evacuation of workers.”

Alliance Bangladesh Managing Director Rabin Mesbah was also present at the press conference.

Apart from the new training course, Alliance is going to hold its second building and fire safety expo on Dec 7-9.

In addition, Alliance started a 24/7 help line called 'Amader Kotha' to know about workers' problems. Currently, the help line is available in 250 factories.