Matrix Sweater fire highlights need for remediation in RMG: Alliance

The North American buyers’ group, Alliance, says despite minor injuries, the Matrix Sweater factory fire in Gazipur underscores the “importance” of its ongoing work to remediate in factories.

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety was formed after the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh to work on enforcing global safety standards in factories.

The Matrix sources garments for members of this group.

Five workers were injured in the Matrix factory fire as they attempted to extinguish it just before the day’s morning shift began on Tuesday. No one died.

The Alliance in a statement on Wednesday said this incident also stressed the need “to push factories that are moving slowly to accelerate their remediation efforts”.

The Alliance conducted the first inspection of the Matrix factory in 2014 and recommended “several essential” safety improvements.

In June 2015, a remediation verification visit indicated that Matrix had completed 25 percent of its required repairs, with an additional 62 percent of repairs in progress.

“Yet to be completed was the installation of fire doors, automatic sprinklers and fire detection systems, which allowed the fire to spread,” it said.

The Alliance is currently conducting a follow-up inspection to gauge additional progress.

While much progress is being made in Bangladesh ready-made garment factories, this fire highlights the need for “continued, collaborative efforts to ensure that all factories are thoroughly remediated”.

This remediation must be done with the “greatest possible emphasis on empowering workers with the safety training they need to respond in an emergency”.

It, however, said a lack of access to water supply and overcrowding of buildings in Bangladesh complicate efforts to extinguish fires when they occur.

The Alliance and its 27 member companies have formally severed ties with 26 factories that failed to comply with the safety standards.