Safety Environment Complance in Beximco Texitile Limited

Today the BEXIMCO Group (“BEXIMCO” or the “Group”) is the largest private sector group in Bangladesh. BEXIMCO was founded in the 1970’s by two brothers – Ahmed Sohail Fasiur Rahman and Ahmed Salman Fazlur Rahman. Since the early days, the Group has evolved from being primarily a commodities trading company to a leading, diversified group with a presence in industry sectors that account for nearly 75% of Bangladesh’s GDP. Beximco’s corporate mission is “Taking Bangladesh to the world”.

As Beximco has grown over the years, the flagship platform now has operations and investments across a wide range of industries including textiles, trading, marine food, real estate development, hospitality, construction, information and communication technologies, media, ceramics, aviation, pharmaceuticals, financial services and energy. The Group sells its products and services in the domestic Bangladesh market as well as international markets. Beximco is the largest employer in the private sector in Bangladesh and employs over 50,000 people worldwide.

History of Beximco:

Since independence Bangladesh has come a long way, and the Beximco Group of Companies is honored to have had a role in the development of its parent nation. The Group has worked with a simple philosophy; identify an important need and then do everything possible to successfully satiate that need, in a manner which best facilitates the well being of the nation. As a result Beximco has focused on those industries which give Bangladesh a competitive advantage in the global market place in many cases creating the industries for the first time in the region. Throughout its four and a half decade journey the Group has been one of the leading innovators in the country. Presently Beximco Group comprises twenty one companies of which five are listed with the Dhaka Stock Exchange employing over 35,000 personnel ands the largest private sector industrial conglomerate in the nation. . In the course of its growth, it has created industrial and management capabilities that will serve the country for generations to come. It was the first local conglomerate to embrace an international corporate structure which is the foundation of its success. Beximco industrial businesses include jute, textiles, basic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and ceramics. Beximco’s non-industrial undertakings are focused on real estate and construction, engineering, media, information technology, trading and financial services. It is the creation and expansion of businesses critical to Bangladesh development, businesses, which are developed and run by Bangladeshis, businesses that develop technologies and practices specific to the needs of the country, which is the defining characteristic of the Beximco story.

Mission:

Each of their activities must benefit & add value to the common wealth of their society. They firmly believe that, in the final analysis they are accountable to each of the constituents with whom they interact; namely; their employees; their valued customers, their suppliers, their business associates, their shareholders & their fellow citizens.

Vision:

To empower the customers and to satisfy them by ensuring priority in serving customer base.

Objective:

• Beximco compliance because its obey company rules.
• The objective of having a policy on Heath and Safety is to create a safe & healthy work environment in the factory in accordance with the Factories Act 1965, Guidelines provided by the World Bank and ILO Convention concerning the protection of workers against occupational hazards in the Working Environment.
• To ensure of taking preventive actions to avoid any fire hazards in the factory premises and being prepared for any fire incidents so that it can be handled proficiently to save the risks of life and also the damages of properties caused by it.
• Provide appropriate Medicare facility to the injured employees, asses seriousness of injuries and arrange better clinical admission facilities to injured employees if necessary for further treatment     

Methodology:

Methodology is the process or system through which a study is being carried out for the purpose of collection of information that is required in collection with the study for reaching a conclusion on that study.

Primary Source of Data:

• Face to face conversation with the employee
• Personal & depth interview
• Through questionnaire

Secondary Sources of Data:

• Different reports & publications
• website
• Performance records

Equal Opportunity Employer & Social Contributor

BEXTEX Limited, a one-stop manufacturing and vertical integrated facility for world-class fabric & apparel. The organization also boasts its unique human assets of diversified talents who play the vital role in managing such a world-class facilities to be the business partner of the world’s reputed and top ranking customers in the field of global textiles & apparels market. Since the inception, Beximco Group became the pioneer of headhunting for all of their fields and successfully accumulated the best talents from within the country as well as from abroad and could make an excellent environment to flourish their qualities and abilities by utilizing their capacities in the process of manufacturing, maintenance and of course in the management in broad. The human resources engaged in Beximco Group are getting the best value of their potentials and never look anywhere other than significantly contributing their highest efforts for the continuous development of the company. The ideal management of human resources in Beximco ensured nurturing of the potentials of these talents through working in an environment having the state of the art production facilities and getting the satisfaction of job and reward. Beximco, a company of continuously maintaining the best employee-management communication & relationship abiding by the internationally recognized and certified standard of compliance has ensured not only recruiting the best manpower but also has the record of retaining them through whom the company brought the  sheer success of achievements in the world of textiles and garments. The story of success, achievements and the glory of the company as well as the division or the Group as a whole is nothing but the participation of it’s human resources and of course, conforming of all the compliance issues starting from the level of A to Z i.e. from accumulating the resources, processing the production up-to the feeding of products into the market.

Human Resources and Compliance

After developing the skill levels and efficiencies of the human resources by arranging regular training courses and programs for the employees. A separate training section is also working with necessary logistics and accommodation for providing necessary training for both the workers and officers, which has already earned an envious reputation among the competitors and made us a different among others in regard to the methods and techniques of developing the human resources which contributes in achieving the market share and leadership in the industry. The tangible and intangible benefits and facilities provided to the employees of Beximco including the working conditions, physical infrastructures, accommodations and dormitories, arrangements for leisure and amusements etc. in the Beximco Industrial Park made the company a completely different type of employer acknowledging which the employees are also devoting their whole hearted and sincere efforts for each and every step of the production starting from sorting of cotton up to the shipping of the RMGs. The transparency of management and the broad and open accessibility of employees enable both the parties to maintain a harmonious relationship and to reciprocally remain besides and make them feel a part of the team for the improvements of production in quality and quantity for the ultimate development of the company as well as the division which also increases the aptness of the employee in their work.

Compliance and Social Commitments

Being the largest company and the largest employer of the country, Beximco ited always performs the social responsibilities and maintains the conformity of compliance issues at each and every level of production and management which starts from the recruitment of worker where the relevant clauses of the law and ILO conventions are properly followed and ends up with the shipping of the finished goods through Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. Considering the social responsibilities of the company, the innovation of new products, services and ideas for which the company is earning a huge reputation and stepping towards the globalization in terms of products, markets, efficiencies etc. should be counted at first. Beximco is the company, which is always being in the front row of market penetration through their innovations and product development, which further brings the benefit for the whole industry of the country through increasing the flow of orders for the country. Beximco always believes that the contribution in the field of national economy through making employment opportunities, providing jobs, facilities and ensuring a standard of living for the workforces and of course, enhancing the business in the country are the prime social responsibilities they are performing. Being the largest employer of the country, Beximco is directly contributing in the national skill development of the workers. Beximco is patronizing both the technical and non-technical educational institutions of the country allowing the Internship and Industrial attachment of their students. Beximco allows a number of national and international educational institutes as well as the institutes like NationalDefenseCollege, OrdnanceSchool, MarineAcademy and some other institutes to visit the Plants, study the management practices and enrich the knowledge of their students/officers. The facility is also visited and highly appreciated by renowned SAARC journalists. The company ensures abiding by all the relevant instructions for Health, Safety and Environment Conservation Rules, policies, Fire and Boiler maintenance instructions and all relevant requisites of the country throughout the entire Industrial Park as each and individual units are abiding by the said rules. Sufficient Personal Protective Equipments (PPE), Safety Equipments, signs and symbols etc. are made available throughout the plants as well as necessary training has also been provided to all the workers on the use of these equipments so that they are also aware on the issues and capable of using the items, if required and maintain the Health, Safety & Hygiene properly.

Necessary plantation, treatment, control measures etc. are also properly ensured as per the guidelines of the World Bank, Department of Environment and also of other concerned bodies. Abiding by the appropriate policies and procedures of health safety and environment are also ensuring the conformity of the Buyers Code of Conduct and makes all the leading buyers satisfied on their set standard of compliance. The certification of compliance from the buyers like PVH, Perry Ellis, Wal-Mart, JC Penny, Haddad etc. are the recognition of Bextex in making the company compliant of global standard. In conclusion, Bextex Limited can firmly say that the continuous achievement of market share and earning the reputation from around the globe are the benchmarks of the success of the company. This success has been earned, besides others, obviously by ensuring the highest level of human resources management and conforming to various compliance issues at a level of international standard. We do believe in what our competitors are saying behind us that the Human Resources and Compliance Management of Beximco is unparallel and not to be compared with any other organization in the industry. We know this was said by the competitors as because this was expressed by each and every individual employee and by the buyers, partners, and agencies and by all others concerning Beximco Limited. This recognition and satisfaction among all of us are the strength of the Human Resources and Compliance of the company.

Company Safety Environment

Health & Safety Policy of BTD

• Provide a hazards free, safe & healthy work environment for the BTD employees.
• Ensure proper house keeping, cleaning and maintenance of work place as well as the factory premises.
• Ensure adequate availability of safety equipment, cleaning and maintenance materials, etc.
• Provide adequate medical, hygiene and sanitation facilities to the employees.

Control the air & wastewater emission to ensure a pollution free environment

Environment, Health and Safety Management

Ensuring a pollution- free, healthy and safe working environment is the most important and a very essential duty of the Management of any industry. It is necessary to keep the working environment Healthy and Safe not only for the sake of organizational interest, it is a social responsibility as well. The management of Beximco itself is always concerned about this issue and it is also committed to take necessary steps and initiatives in this regard.

Environment Control Management:

In every phase of work it has to be ensured that any work done inside or outside the factory does not cause any direct or indirect effect on the environment what can turn out to be harmful for Public Life/ Property or pose a threat to the same. To ensure an environment-friendly working atmosphere the following things must always be followed by the workers/staffs of the factory:

§  Smoking inside the factory is strictly prohibited.  So just do not smoke inside the factory and keep the visitors away from smoking as well.

• Do not litter any eggshell, banana peels or any kind of left over after having your food. Just keep them into the specified covered dustbins.
• Always keep your alert eyes on every floor so that the lint can not build up and clean the floors once in a week or more if required.
• If any of the machines found making any unbearable sound due to some defect the maintenance personnel should immediately be called. It is their duty to repair the defective machine and bring down the sound pollution.
• While working in the Spot Removing Room you have to make sure that the exhaust fan is working and the window of the room is kept open to keep solbi away from entering into the floor and polluting the factory environment.
• The drains, dustbins or any dumping place around the factory complex should always be kept clean so that insect/flies/mosquitoes etc can not grow over there.

• You must wear Goggles, Apron, Hand gloves and all other related personal protective equipment while refilling solbi or working with it.
• Handling of solbi by anyone except the authorized person(s) or the duly trained ones is strictly prohibited.
• The Water Reservoir must be hygienically cleaned at least once in a week.
• The First Aid Boxes of every floor of the factory should be facilitated with all the first Aid materials in accordance with the Factory Rules and the doctor’s prescription. And the First Aid Boxes must be kept unlocked.

Health Management

To ensure a hygienic and safe working environment the following things should be given importance:

• In case of any injury- is it a major or a minor one- you must take the medical service from the First Aid Box available in every floor of the factory and record the service availed in the Register Book kept therewith.
• In case of any serious injury you should avail the medical service from the Paramedic appointed in the factory.
• Do not take any medicine without a doctor’s prescription.
• If any naked electrical wire found in any part of the factory- just inform the maintenance department to repair it as soon as possible.
• Workers/ staffs are advised to put on necessary personal protective equipment accordingly.
• Any type of electrical work by anyone except the authorized personnel(s) is prohibited.
• You must make sure that any kind of oily material or polythene, that can cause serious accident, is not lying on the floor.
• If found any broken glass in any part of the factory it should thereupon be replaced.
• All the Fire extinguishers as well as other Fire Fighting Equipment must be checked to ensure that those are in working conditions and kept in their respective places.
• Thoroughfares and specified exit ways inside the factory should be kept free from any obstacle.
• All the necessary support should be given to ensure that the Fire Fighting/preventive/rescue Teams could perform their job accordingly during an emergency.
• Always follow the specified and displayed rules on weight lifting. By no means carry an extra weight than you are instructed thereby.
• Use your own glass/ mug to drink water. Never use your hand but spoons to serve food in the canteen.
• Working in inadequate light should be avoided, as this can be harmful for one’s eyesight. Adequate lighting and proper ventilation should be ensured in a factory.
• Emergency Exit ways of every floor should always be unlocked and free from any obstacle.
• Adequate numbers of trained male/female First Aid members are always present in every floor of the factory. You are advised to take medical services from them.
• Water purified in proper scientific way is available for drinking in every floor of the factory. You all are therefore advised to drink water only from the water dispensers available on the floors avoiding the unhygienic drinking of water from the toilet tap.
• Flash the toilet after use. Use soaps to wash hands, make sure if the water tap is shut down and water does not make the toilet floor slippery or damp.
• Left over of your food should not be littered in a way that can cause accident or pollution.
• A moving machine causing a serious accident can catch scarves, saris and skirts. So the workers wearing loose dresses- irrespective of their genders-while on work- should keep their alert eyes on their dresses.

Safety Management

The prime objective of the Safety Management is just to ensure a safe working environment for the workers by proper implementation of safety management. So to ensure the proper implementation of Safety Management attention should be given to the following things:

• If a member of a Fire Fighting Team resigns from his/her job then another worker just upon receiving his/her respective training and certificate should immediately replace him.
• Badges have been given to the Fire Fighting Team members besides keeping their photographs on display for their easy identification. All the necessary supports should be given to the Fire Fighting Team members to ensure smooth performance of their job during an emergency.
• The factory has sufficient number of Fire Fighting, Fire Preventive and Rescue Team members in every floor. You can take their help in the time of any emergency.
• A basic Consciousness Training on Evacuation Plan Map should be given to all the workers/staffs of the factory.
• You must check to ensure that sufficient reserve of Fire Fighting Equipment is already there and all the Fire Fighting equipment are in working condition.
• During an announced / unannounced Fire Drill make sure that all the workers/staffs can evacuate and assemble outside in the shortest possible time. Information received on the basis of the Drill should be well recorded in the related register and steps should be taken if any discrepancy should found in this regard.
• “Safety First” is our motto. So never work in a place where there is no safety and keep others away from working in such a place. Always keep it in your mind – Safety in a workplace should be placed above all other things.

Just ask your supervisor to help you if you have any query on Environment, Health & Safety. You know yourself and encourage others to know more about this issue.

Feel free to inform the higher authority the suggestions you have to improve the overall condition of the factory in this regard. Your valuable suggestion can bring a big success in future.

Safety Management of Beximco

The Management of Beximco firmly believes that a safe working environment is the prime requisite of obtaining the credibility of the management commitment. Safety management is introduced in ESSES Fashions Limited, responsible for ensuring a safe working environment in the factory. The objective of safety management is to ensure a safe work environment and to make a better place for all the employees as well as others around the factory premises. The three primary areas of responsibilities of safety management are:

• Fire safety management
• First aid management
• Environment control Management

Factory Safety Management Committee:

The Factory safety management committee is developed that is responsible for the entire safety of the factory and its operation process. The Committee controls and monitors the activities of different committee. Each committee has their particular area of responsibility. The flow chart of safety management system is given below:

Fire Safety Management Committee:

Objective:

To ensure of taking preventive actions to avoid any fire hazards in the factory premises and being prepared for any fire incidents so that it can be handled proficiently to save the risks of life and also the damages of properties caused by it.

Functional Responsibility of the Fire Safety Management Committee:

• Develop a detail program, checklist, guidelines and responsibilities of the Fire Fighting, Preventive, and Rescue Team Members
• Constitute competent Fire Fighting, Preventive, & Rescue Team with a combination of adequate no. of male and female employees
• Arrange training for fire fighting, Preventive, and Rescue team members of how to use, apply and handle the fire fighting equipment from recognized and reputed organizations
• Monitor and check that all the members of the fire fighting, Preventive, and Rescue team has submitted their certificate to the safety committee on successful completion of their training
• Conduct formal interview of Fire Fighting, Preventive, and Rescue Team Members to measure their competency
• Provide badges to the fire fighting, first aid, & rescue team members for easy identification
• Organize “Fire Drill” at least once in a month
• Update the Evacuation Plan from time to time incase of any changes and inform/explain about the changes to all team members

Different Teams under Fire Safety Management Committee:

Three distinct teams are developed to look after three separate areas for the safety related to fire incidents. These are:

1. Fire fighting Team
2. Preventive Team
3. Rescue Team

Fire fighting Team

Objective:

To locate the sources of fire at it’s first appearance and extinguish it in a very professional manner within the shortest possible time and ensures all lives and properties around are completely unhurt and causing no damage.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assess complete requirement of fire fighting equipment’s, tools and facilities
• Install and make available of all required fire fighting equipment’s at the designated area
• Checking of all the Fire Fighting Equipment’s, Tools and Facilities on daily basis and make sure these are in absolute working conditions.
• Display photographs of fire fighting team members at each and every of their respective floor
• Make available and visible of all the fire fighting equipment’s and tools without any obstacles
• Educate all employees about their role to play during fire hazard.
• Ensure clear understanding of Evacuation Plan among all employees
• Aware the workers where to assemble after the evacuation
• Maintain register of all the incidents/accidents incurred due to any fire hazard and recommend necessary corrective action for prevention

Preventive Team

Objective:

Identify the possible causes and sources of fire and adopt appropriate preventive measures at roots and reduce the chances of fire hazard at “0” level through creating an extensive awareness of preventive ways and means among employees.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop awareness about the concept of “Fire Prevention” and it’s various means and ways among all employees
• Encourage and monitor execution of proper maintenance/handling of machines, chemicals, electric connections, fittings, accessories and proper storing/stacking of garments/fabrics/cartoons etc.
• Enrich appropriate knowledge about Fire Fighting Preventive measures from the Fire fighting experts like Fire Service and Civil Defense , BGMEA, and concerned representative of buyers
• Develop an extensive Checklist on Fire Safety, Health, Hygiene,  Environment and conduct internal Fire Safety audit in line with Checklist requirement
• Take immediate corrective measures (if any) from the feed back of checklist
• Inspect all Fire Fighting Extinguishers, Equipments, Tools and Facilities on a regular set interval to make sure that all are in absolute working condition
• Conduct interview of employees about their preventive awareness of Fire Hazard
• Always keep update and make available contact telephone nos. of nearby Fire Services, Clinics & Police Stations  with Security, Reception and all other concerned ends
• Conduct formal interview of Preventive Team Members to measure their competency
• Register the cause of fire occurred in other factories and ensure the same lacking does not exist incase of ours
• Always maintain a reasonable nos. of additional stock of all kinds of Fire Fighting Equipments, Tools etc.
• Encourage the other tenants residing within the same factory to introduce similar Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting procedures

Rescue Team

Objective:

Provide proper guidance to employees, reduce panic, and help all the employees to come out from the hazard area/situation to stay in a very safe and protected area during Fire Hazards.

Key responsibilities:

• Explain a clear concept about the term “Rescue” and the role to play of each worker during Fire hazard
• Closely observe the activity of the workers during “Fire Drill” and make necessary corrective action if any to overcome the shortcomings
• Maintain a list of the total workers present every day in each of the team’s responsible area and keep it always to a designated team member to identify whether any worker is missing after the evacuation during fire incidents. The attendance sheet must be kept always in the pocket of the designated persons so that it is not left during fire incidents
• Evacuate the building in a disciplined way during any fire incidents
• Help the injured persons to get out of the factory premises during evacuation
• Help the workers to assemble in the designated place in a disciplined way after evacuation
• Check from the attendance sheet whether any person is missing or not after the evacuation
• Verify twice in a day that all the Emergency Exits are unlocked, opened and free from any type of obstacles/barriers
• Display photographs of Rescue Team members at each and every of their respective floor

Basic Guide Lines for Fire Safety Management

Basically there are four types of fire:

• Solid Fire
• Inflammable Liquid Fire
• Electrical Fire
• Explosive Fire

We can fight these different types of fire in different ways:

1)     Solid Fires usually occurs on solid materials such as clothes, papers, woods, rubbers etc. Normally we can use water to extinguish this type of fire. If the burning materials are small in size then it can be removed. We can also put out fire by hitting it with a wet towel or cover it with a wet blanket.

2)     Inflammable Liquid Fire usually occurs in oil fields, petrol pumps, petrol dumps etc. it is very difficult to extinguish this type of fire as because the burning liquid keeps flowing and it burns whatever comes in it’s path. Water should not be used because this type of inflammable liquid are higher than water and it helps burning the liquid are lighter than water and it helps burning the liquid. We should use sand or foam to extinguish this type of fire.

3)     Electrical fire is caused due to short circuit in the electrical wiring or in any electrical machines. In case of electrical fire we should never use water or water type extinguishers. If any water-based extinguisher used then chances of being electrocuted is very high. To fight this type of fire we should:

• Put off the circuit breaker
• Put off the main switch
• Use powder type extinguisher or Carbon-dioxide extinguishers

4)  Explosive fires usually occur due to explosion of pressurized cylinders. Corrosive material, Bomb, or gas cylinders etc. in these cases of this type of fire we should follow the methods as prescribed for 2 & 3 judging the situation.

Pre-caution during Fire:

When there is a fire then there is smoke. The burning material gives Carbon DI-Oxide. In case of rubber or any other synthetic material it omits carbon monoxide. Inhaling of Carbon Monoxide is fatal. If a person inhales carbon Monoxide more than 20 seconds, he may die. Therefore when there is fire we should:

Try not to inhale smoke

• Use cloth or wet towel to cover mouth and nose
• Try to stay down towards floor as much as possible
• (if using CO₂ extinguishers) do not inhale the smoke
• Open all windows to let the smoke out
• Don’t rush together towards the exit
• Move in a line
• Use emergency exits or any available exits

Floor Aisle Marking:

All the floors (Aisles) of the factory need to be marked with yellow colored lines with a Red Arrow indication towards exit. These aisles are to be kept clear all the time and workers should be trained of not keeping anything (Crossing) these aisle marking. These aisles are kept clear at all time for easy movement during evacuation.

Emergency Lights & Exit Lights:

All exits, Stairwells and area where chances of becoming total dark when power is shut off should have self power rechargeable emergency lights. The factory should have IPS facility and at least two lights on the exit way in each floor must have IPS connection. The type of lights most suggestible would be to have on top of all exits with “EXIT” written in both English and local language. And for the areas (Dark Zone) should have spot light type and tube light types and these types of lights should also be installed in stairwells. These emergency lights should always be kept on “ARM” position during work hours.

Fire Alarms:

It is suggestible that factory should at minimum have battery operated Fire Alarm and a Gong bell, the switches should be placed in such areas where one think is a place which seem to be “Fire Potential Zone”. Fire alarm should also be kept inside each toilet. These switches should be covered and how to activate should be written in both English and Bengali, which should be posted in front these switches.

Fire Drill:

Fire Drill (Bangladesh) should be conducted once every month. All records (including total evacuation time) should be kept in the fire drill record.

Fire Fighting & Evacuation Procedure: 

• A designated person in each floor will put off the circuit breakers
• Fire fighters will take their respective fire extinguishers to put off fire
• Iron man nearest to the boiler will put off the boiler switch and turn off the gas flow valve
• A supervisor in each section will conduct the evacuation through main exit and emergency exit
• Evacuation should be proceeded with strict discipline. Fire fighting team will help the evacuation to be disciplined
• Nobody should try to take his belongings with him at the time of evacuation
• Every person must assemble in the designated place outside the factory after evacuation
• Rescue team will check & identify from their respective daily attendance sheet whether any person is missing or not

First Aid Management Committee

Accidents and injuries can take place any time without any prior notice. Every major or minor injury must need to be attended first so that preliminary treatment can be provided to restrict any further damage. Thus the knowledge of First Aid is essential for any emergency crises. Industry and factory normally deals with machines and other sensitive equipments which is a common source of injury. Thus first aid equipments are always kept near to hand in each and every factory, so that any undesired incident can be dealt adeptly. Thus, The management of Beximco firmly believes that adequate first aid knowledge as well as facilities must prevail in the factory for the safety and well being of the all the employees.

The first aid management committee is developed to ensure first aid facility in the factory. The committee has the following objective and responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities:

• Constitute a competent Rescue team with a combination of adequate no. of male and female employees
• Arrange training for First Aid  Team members how to use, apply and handle the First Aid Equipments, tools and facilities
• Assess the requirement of various First Aid tools,  medicines and facilities by a competent and professional expert
• Procure and install first aid boxes along with all required medicines and tools at each and every floor
• Arrange training for first aid team members how to use, apply and provide first aid treatment where ever and when ever required
• Provide first aid badge to the First Aid Team members for easy identification
• Check the stock of all recommended medicines on daily basis and rebuild the stock level promptly as and when required
• Make available and visible of all the First Aid Boxes without any obstacles/barriers.
• Check the condition of various First Aid Tools and Equipments like Oxygen, Stretcher, Blood Pressure Machine, etc are in perfect order

Without adequate professional knowledge of first aid it is not possible to ensure proper treatment of different kind of injuries or physical disorder. Thus training of first aid is essential. It is very important to train up a group of members who will deal with first aid and for this a first aid team is required. The properly trained up first aid team will not only ensure appropriate treatment but will also take necessary preventive actions to reduce the occurrence of such incident. The following guidelines will help maintaining first aid in the factory to ensure safety of the factory personnel.

Guidelines for Maintaining First Aid:

• Adequate no. of first aid boxes equipped with  all the necessary items as recommended by the physician and also to the requirement of the law of the land must be kept in each floor of the factory
• Each floor must have first aid team for each section with proper combination of male and female workers
• Appropriate training must be provided to each and every member of the first aid team from a recognized training institute
• All training certificates provided by the training institute to the trained members of the first aid team must be submitted to the factory management as a credential of the successful completion of the training
•  The factory management also organize further training program to make the team members conscious about the common types of injuries and physical illness
• Photograph of the first aid team members should be displayed in each of their respective work floor with name and designation, so that they can be identified easily
• First aid batch should be provided to each of the team members for their easy identification
• Each floor of the factory must accommodate a medical room with one male and one female paramedic
• The paramedics are must be specialized in handling injuries and illness
• The medical room must be equipped with necessary medical equipments and medicines
• The first aid team will attend only minor injuries first and any major injury will  immediately taken to the medical room for proper treatment
• Treatment of any injury that is beyond the knowledge of the medical Practitioners will be immediately sent to the nearby BGMEA hospital  or any other hospital / clinic.
• The paramedics are advised not to prescribe antibiotics or other sensitive drugs that require special knowledge or recommendation of the physician.
• Each and every illness and injury attended by the paramedics must be recorded in the medical register
• The paramedics, at the end of each month, will give information about common types of injuries and illness from the medical register in a specified format with his or her suggestions for preventive actions to the factory management.
• The factory management will provide a copy of the above formatted information to the HR & Compliance Department, BTD
• Every quarter of the year, the personnel management department on the basis of the information related to common injuries will initiate awareness/preventive training program to minimize the frequency of injuries
• HR & Compliance Department in association with other professional institutes will also conduct training program for the first aid team members for continuous improvement of their skills and ability

First Aid Box

Each section of the factory must be provided with adequate number of first aid boxes equipped with prescribed contents and nothing except the prescribed contents shall be kept in the boxes. Each first aid boxes shall contain the following equipments:

• Small sterilized Bandages
• Medium sized sterilized Bandages
• Large sized sterilized Bandages
• Packets of sterilized cotton
• Tourniquet
• 1 pair of scissors
• 4 inch sized roller bandage
• 2 inch sized roller bandage
• Triangular bandage
• Safety pins
• Burn ointment
• Savlon/detol

Environment Control Management Committee

Environment Control management is very important to ensure a safe, healthy and pollution free workplace and improving the overall condition of the factory environment.

The environment control committee is developed to manage the whole environment in the factory premises. The committee is liable to look after health & hygiene, canteen facility, and disposal of hazardous wastes. The objective and responsibilities of this committee are as follows:

Objective:   

To keep the factory free from any unhygienic condition and secure the factory from any kind of pollution and maintaining the overall environment of the factory for the sake of the internal as well as external customers of this organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Constitute a competent environment control team with the combination of adequate no. of male and female employees
• Provide adequate training to the team members about health & hygiene, cleanliness, waste disposal and other environment related matters
• Maintain the health & hygiene condition of the factory premises through following systematic guidelines
• Create consciousness about health & hygiene as well as overall environment among the employees of the factory
• Develop systematic guidelines for maintaining the condition of the canteen facility
• Taking proper care of drinking water, ventilation system & temperature of the factory following standard rules & procedures
• Develop and maintain hygienic toilet facility in the factory through systematic procedures
• Develop and maintain systematic procedure of the disposal of wastes and effluents in environment friendly manner

Guidelines for Environment Control Management

Health & Hygiene:

Cleanliness:

The factory shall be kept clean and free from effluvia arising from any drain privy or other nuisance, and in particular-

• Accumulation of dirt and refuge shall be moved daily by sweeping or by any other effective method from the floors and benches of work rooms and from the staircases and passages and disposed of in suitable manner
• The floor of every work-room shall be cleaned and swept regularly by using disinfectant where necessary or by some other effective method
• Where the floor is liable to become wet in the course of any manufacturing process to such extent as is capable of being drained, effective means of drainage shall be provided and maintained
• All walls and partitions, all ceilings and staircases shall be painted or varnished at least once in a year

Ventilation & Temperature:

Effective and suitable provision shall be made in the factory for securing and maintaining in every workroom through –

• Adequate ventilation by circulation of fresh air
• Walls & roofs shall be of such material and so designed to maintained such temperature as will secure to workers therein reasonable conditions of comfort and prevent injury to health
• In case of production of high temperature from any source, such adequate measures as are practicable, shall be taken to protect the workers therefrom separating the process which produces such temperature from the workroom by insulating the hot parts or by other effective means.

Drinking Water:

• Effective arrangement shall be made in the factory to provide and maintain at suitable point conveniently situated for all workers employed therein, a sufficient supply wholesome drinking water
• All such points shall be legibly marked “DRINKING WATER” in a language understood by the majority of the workers and no such points shall be situated within twenty feet of any working place or toilet

Toilets:

In every floor-

• Sufficient number of toilets shall be provided conveniently situated and accessible to workers at all time
• Enclosed toilets shall be provided separately for male and female workers
• Toilets shall be properly lighted and ventilated
• Fire alarm must be kept inside each toilet
• All toilets must be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition at all times with suitable detergent or disinfectants
• Water bucket must be kept in female toilet

 Canteen:

• The factory shall be provided with a canteen facility with adequate space inside it
• The canteen must be cleaned regularly with disinfectant to maintain the hygienic condition
• The foods must be kept covered always to protect from any kind of diseases
• Adequate sitting provision must be kept inside the canteen
• All windows must be covered with nets to protect the inside canteen facility from dust, mosquito, fly, and other disease carried insects
• Air freshener must be used inside the canteen after a regular interval
• The sitting arrangement inside the canteen should be separated for male and female workers
• The contract food suppliers facility and quality of food must be checked on a regular basis
• Adequate lights and ventilation system must be ensured inside the canteen

Major Finding

1.Health and safety Training of employees

Note: weighted average score is calculated using weights of 1 for Highly dissatisfied, 2 for Dissatisfied, 3 for Neutral,4 for Satisfied, and 5 for Highly satisfaction.

Table 1 shows that among the four (04) particular under the aspect of ongoing HSE Training of employees. The particular “Problem solving” ranked 01 in executive weighted average score being 4.15; followed by “Networking” ranked 02 in weighted average score being 4.09. “Relevance of training” ranked 03 in weighted average score being 3.95. And “Group leadership” ranked 04 in weighted average score being 3.93. All this figures imply that of all the opinion mentioned about i.e. Problem solving, Networking , Relevance of training, Group leadership are the major ones respectively .

Again if we compare the executives opinions of  Beximco differently; it shows that in terms of  “HSE ” rank order of  each banks is 2, 2 and 2 respectively and overall ranked 02 out of 04 variable, in terms of  “Group leadership” rank order of  each banks are 3, 3 and 4 respectively and overall ranked 04 out of 04 variable, in terms of  “Problem solving” rank order of  each banks is 1, 1 and 1 respectively and overall ranked 01 out of 04 variable, in terms of  “Relevance of training” rank order of  each banks is 4, 4 and 3 respectively and overall ranked 03out of 04 variable.

HSE focuses on employee involvement:

In order to get valued opinion of the executives Beximco compliance .A total of 75 executives were interviewed to measure the level of job satisfaction with respect to employee involvement.

Table 02: Showing the level of HSE focus on employee involvement.

(Source: Field Survey)

Note: weighted average score is calculated using weights of 1 for Highly dissatisfied, 2 for Dissatisfied, 3 for Neutral,4 for Satisfied, and 5 for Highly satisfaction.

Table 02 reveals that among the four (04) particular under the aspect of HSE focus on employee involvement, the particular “Participation on the quality program” ranked 01 in executive weighted average score being 4.12; followed by , “Senior’s behavior”  ranked 02 in weighted average score being 4.07. “Communication with management” ranked 03 in weighted average score being 3.92. And “Decision making in” ranked 04 in weighted average score being 3.88. All this figures imply that of all the opinion mentioned about i.e. Participation on the quality program, Senior’s behavior, Communication with management, Decision making are the major ones respectively under the aspects.

Recommendation:

• Drinking water vessale cleaned at least once in a day.
• Drinking water not in plastic pot.
• Water centre in charge person with cleanliness.
• Suggessation Box Register.
• All toilets Seat with proper privacy and lock facility.
• Sufficient Fire Extinguisher.
• Fire Extinguisher all in good Condition.
• Sufficient Fire Safety trained employees.
• Fire Safety trained employees name & photo list.
• Frist Aid Boxes Location list.
• First Aid Boxes with All medicines.
• No Smoking Sing in gents Toilet.
• Bucket with mug at toilets.

Conclusion

To ensure a conducive work environment the management of Beximco Textiles Division always committed to reserve the fundamentals of Compliance & Human Rights for its employees. The management firmly believes that in the final analysis “We all are accountable to each of our constituents with whom we interact such as employees, customers, business associates, shareholders & fellow citizens.”