UNB, Dhaka :
At least 3,036 workers died in workplace accidents during the last five years from 2009-2014, said a survey released on Saturday.
Safety and Rights Society (SRS) and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) jointly released the report at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), marking the 2nd anniversary of the Tazreen fire incident.
The survey report showed at least 260 workers died in 217 separate workplace accidents from January to October this year.
As the previous years, construction sector topped the death toll with at least 105 workers dying in workplace accidents in the sector so far this year.
Among other sectors, 70 workers died in the services sector like hotels, workshops, and power supply organisations, while 60 died in factories and other manufacturing units.
The highest number of deaths involved electrocution with 77 deaths in the last 10 months followed by 40 deaths when the workers fell from high structures.
Meanwhile, 28 workers were crushed to death when machinery or hard objects fell over them. Besides, roof, wall and building collapses caused the death of 16 workers.
The remaining workers died from various causes, including boiler explosions, chemical and gas explosions, suffocation, road accidents (drivers, conductors) as well as landslides.
Speaking at the press conference, Safety and Rights Society executive director Sekender Ali Mina said, “After Tazreen and Rana Plaza, the employers, buyers and the government have taken various initiatives to ensure the safety in garment industries but it has failed to act in other sectors.”
Barrister Jotirmoy Barua of BLAST pointed out that the issue of compensation to the victim workers and their families have not been adequately addressed in the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2013.
Factors like loss of earnings, pain and sufferings and gratuity are not considered for the compensation in the amended law, he added.
The report is based on news articles published in 26 daily newspapers 15 national and 11 regional newspapers – and did not include deaths of workers outside workplaces or in road accidents on the way to or return from workplaces.
At least 3,036 workers died in workplace accidents during the last five years from 2009-2014, said a survey released on Saturday.
Safety and Rights Society (SRS) and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) jointly released the report at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), marking the 2nd anniversary of the Tazreen fire incident.
The survey report showed at least 260 workers died in 217 separate workplace accidents from January to October this year.
As the previous years, construction sector topped the death toll with at least 105 workers dying in workplace accidents in the sector so far this year.
Among other sectors, 70 workers died in the services sector like hotels, workshops, and power supply organisations, while 60 died in factories and other manufacturing units.
The highest number of deaths involved electrocution with 77 deaths in the last 10 months followed by 40 deaths when the workers fell from high structures.
Meanwhile, 28 workers were crushed to death when machinery or hard objects fell over them. Besides, roof, wall and building collapses caused the death of 16 workers.
The remaining workers died from various causes, including boiler explosions, chemical and gas explosions, suffocation, road accidents (drivers, conductors) as well as landslides.
Speaking at the press conference, Safety and Rights Society executive director Sekender Ali Mina said, “After Tazreen and Rana Plaza, the employers, buyers and the government have taken various initiatives to ensure the safety in garment industries but it has failed to act in other sectors.”
Barrister Jotirmoy Barua of BLAST pointed out that the issue of compensation to the victim workers and their families have not been adequately addressed in the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2013.
Factors like loss of earnings, pain and sufferings and gratuity are not considered for the compensation in the amended law, he added.
The report is based on news articles published in 26 daily newspapers 15 national and 11 regional newspapers – and did not include deaths of workers outside workplaces or in road accidents on the way to or return from workplaces.
