Environmental, Health & Safety Committee

 APPARELS LIMITED

Environmental, Health & Safety Committee

 

1.            Safety Sub Committee (1) Fire & Earthquake Safety

2.            Safety Sub Committee (2) Occupational Safety

 

-      Safety means measures taken in advance to save oneself from disaster. And to safe oneself they need to be trained on mode of action in case of any disaster that may arise due to faulty electrical wiring, unprotected machines, fire, natural disaster etc. ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED has developed a unique system to identify safety requirements for its building and based on the requirements Safety committee has been formed to monitor, rectify the problem and to train/conduct various drills.

 

ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED has identified the Safety Issues as follows;

1. Safety Sub Committee (1) Fire & Earthquake safety

1. Fire & Earthquake

 

-      The Fire Hazard is most common safety concern in the type of Industry ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED is. We have seen in bygone years that maximum number of Fire accident in Ready made garments factory is due to negligence by the owner and the staff. Death tolls are alarmingly high, Death due to Fire (Burning) case for last twenty years are only 5, almost all the deaths are due to trampling, suffocating or death by jumping  from roof.

 

Safety Measure summary (fire): ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED By law factory need to have at least two exits per floor leading to the ground level, Fahami has two wide exits leading unobstructed all the way the ground level, aisle are  marked and are kept clear all the time. The layout of Machine are side by side two machines, thus both workers have free access to the aisle. Each Floors are fitted with IPS backed up Emergency Light enough to illuminate so that evacuees can easily proceed towards the emergency exits. Each exits are fitted on top with Illuminating Exit indication light and on stair battery back up Re chargeable focus light, Stair has been marked area for Fire Fighter and Evacuation team Entry Zone. Each floor is fitted with IPS Back up Fire alarm system which pressed activates all the fire sirens situated in the building. Each floor has been placed with evacuation floor plan and fire drills are conducted once a month with visual documentation of the drill. In production Floor smoke detectors has been fitted on top of each Electrical distribution board. The warehouse does not have any direct electrical connection and has been fitted with smoke detectors. By Law One extinguisher per 1000 square foot is required, but ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED is having One per 1000 Square feet. All types of Fire fighting equipments are provided, such as; Dry Powder Extinguisher, CO2 Extinguisher, Hose Reel, Fire bucket and fire fighting support equipments: Smoke Mask (respirator), Fire Blanket, Fire hook, Beater, Lock cutter etc. ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED has In house trained designated Fire fighters.

 

Safety Measure summary (Earthquake): ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED In recent year Earthquake has been hitting various districts of the country, it may that the level on the Richter scale has not been high, but day by day Bangladesh is becoming Earthquake prone area, based on this Fahami has started training workers and staff on what to do in case of Earthquake, and will also conduct Earthquake drill once every three month with visual frill report. Also outline and prepare Earthquake disaster management procedure for Fahami.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Safety & Issues

 

Area	Safety Status
	Is it Unsafe?		Degree of Unsafe	Remedy
	(Y/N)	Why/remarks
Power Station	Y	High Voltage, Fire Hazard due to short circuit	High	CO2 extinguisher, partition of the transformer, Rubber mat in front of switch board, Danger signs, only authorized personal allowed to enter.
Cutting area	N	Only chance for fire is in case there is fire in the distribution board, Fire can be tackled in time	Low	Enough CO2 and ABCE extinguisher & Hose reel available, smoke detector fitted above electrical DB to give warning in case of short circuits, trained fire fighters available, floor fitted with IPS Backed up lights and has two exits with illuminating exit lights and fire alarm with IPS back up, when pushed activates all the sirens in the building. All types of Fire fighting support equipments are available.
Ware House	N	Fabric and accessories and new imported machines are kept, no hazardous chemicals are stored, there are no permanent electrical connection inside the ware house	Very Low	Extinguishers, smoke detectors are fixed inside the warehouse. Has two exits, exits fitted with IPS backed up Exit lights. Water Hose reel are available outside the door of warehouse and extra 45 Kgs Dry powder extinguisher also available with fire fighting support equipments.
Finishing	Y                   Y	In this floor chance of fire may arise from use of thinner gun, which are sometime used to remove spot as required by some buyers, a faulty spot removing equipment may cause a devastating fire with casualty , A fire may be caused by short circuit in electrical DB.             Proper maintenance should be conducted to avoid scaling, water should be checked for ph factor so be able avoid accident of explosion	HIGH               Medium	Extinguisher & Hose reel available, smoke detector fitted above electrical DB to give warning in case of short circuits, trained fire fighters available, floor fitted with IPS Backed up lights and has three exits with illuminating exit lights and fire alarm with IPS back up, when pushed activates all the sirens in the building. All types of Fire fighting support equipments are available. Trained and designated fire fighters are available. Must totally avoid use of thinner to reduce the degree of safety. Extinguishers are available
1 & 2  Sewing	Y	In this floor fire may arise from short circuit inside Electrical DB, spark inside the unclean Sewing machine motor casing (with lint built ups) and faulty electrical connections	Medium	Extinguisher & Hose reel available, smoke detector fitted above electrical DB to give warning in case of short circuits, trained fire fighters available, floor fitted with IPS Backed up lights and has three exits with illuminating exit lights and fire alarm with IPS back up, when pushed activates all the sirens in the building. All types of Fire fighting support equipments are available. All DB should be cleaned faulty wires removed, lint built ups inside the motor casing to be cleaned, all faulty plugs, sockets to be removed.
Dining	N	No electrical connection that may cause fire	0	Extinguisher, fire alarm and Emergency light available

    

 

Responsibility of Fire & Earthquake Safety Sub committee

• Weekly check of Fire Extinguishers for pressure, seal etc.
• Weekly check of Hose pipe
• Weekly Check of Fire Alarm
• Daily check of IPS Back up Light.
• Daily check of IPS Back up Emergency EXIT Illuminating lights.
• Daily check of Battery powered Rechargeable focus lights.
• Daily check and ensure that Rubber mats are placed in front of all Electrical distribution boards.
• Daily check and ensure that all extinguishers are kept clear and unblocked.
• Weekly check of all electrical connection: electrical plugs, sockets, fuses, tube light connections, bulb connection, electrical light connection, generator converter connection etc.
• Fortnightly cleaning of all lint built ups : Electrical Distribution Board, Electrical Channels, Cooling Fan, Cooling Pad, Machine motor casings etc.
• Daily after factory close down check of all connections of electrical appliances and specially Electrical iron (dry), Fusing machines or any other heating elements have been shut properly. To ensure that if any Dry iron is being used then cord to be disconnected and irons to be kept on floor to avoid slow combustion of and combustible material that may come in contact with the heated portion of the iron.
• Conduct Training to the Fire fighters.
• Conduct training to all workers on fire evacuation procedure and on operation of extinguishers.
• Conduct Fire drill once a month.
• Conduct Earthquake drill once in every three month.

 

2. Safety Sub Committee (2) Occupational safety

2. Occupational Safety

 

-      Machine not properly fitted with safety devices; such as Pulley cover/guard, Finger/needle guard, Eye guard/eye protector will cause accident that may be of high risk or low risk.

 

Safety Measure summary (Occupational): ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED

The labor law of the country under factories act, 1965 Section 28. describes

Casing of new machinery. -(1) In all machinery driven by power and installed in any factory after the commencement of this Act – 

(a) every set screw, belt or key or any revolving shaft, spindle, wheel or pinion shall be so sunk, encased or otherwise effectively guarded as to prevent danger; and (b) all spur, worm and other toothed or friction gearing which does not require frequent adjustment while in motion, shall be completely encased unless it is so situated as to be as safe as it would be if it were completely encased.

(2) Whoever sells or lets on hire or as agent of a seller or hirer, causes or procures to be sold or let on hire, for use in a factory any machinery driven by power which does not comply with the provisions of sub-section (1), shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with a fine which may extend to Taka five hundred or with both.

(3) The Government may make rules specifying further safeguards to be provided in respect of any other dangerous part of any particular machine or class or description of machines.

In ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED all machines are fitted with all types of guards: Pulley cover, needle guards, Eye guards, etc. No machines are allowed to be operated without any of these guards. Strict compliance is maintained to avoid any sort of Occupational accidents. Where there are machines those does not have any sort of guard may cause dangerous accidents are : Cloth Cutter, Band Knife, Grinding machine, falling scissor, trimmers, pointers etc. ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED provides PPE to those operators free of cost or provide a system to avoid accident. Further workers and supervisors of ZYTA APPARELS LIMITED are trained on importance of machine guards and use of PPE.

 

 

 

 

 

Equipments, Guards, PPE & method

Equipments	Safety Status
	Is it Unsafe?		Degree of Unsafe	Type of Protection & why
	(Y/N)	Why/remarks
Basic Stitching Machines	Y	1.     High speed moving needle 2.     Moving V-Belt. 3.     Spinning Pulley	High	1.     Finger Guard to protect finger injury 2.     V-Belt Cover to avoid getting entangled with the V-Belt 3.     Pulley cover to avoid accident by spinning pulley
Over Lock Machine	Y	1.     High speed Moving double needle 2.     Moving V-Belt 3.     Spinning Pulley	High	1.     Eye guard to avoid eye injury by a broken needle piece 2.     V-Belt Cover to avoid getting entangled with the V-Belt 3.     Pulley cover to avoid accident by spinning pulley
Button Stitching/Button Hole/ Bar tacking/ Kansai/ Flat lock	Y	1.     Moving needle. 2.     Moving V-Belt. 3.    Spinning Pulley	High	1.     Eye Guard  to avoid eye injury 2.     V-Belt cover to avoid getting entangled with the V-Belt. 3.     Pulley cover to avoid accident by spinning pulley. 4.     Optional Safety goggles instead of eye guard to avoid eye injury
Cloth Cutter	Y	Moving exposed very sharp knife	Very High	Mesh gloves
Band Knife	Y	Moving exposed very sharp knife	Very High	Mesh gloves for both hands
Snap button Machine	Y	Hitting Head of Snap attachment shaft	HIGH	1. Finger Safety guard so that until and unless guard is not pressed to release drop lever.
Grinding Machine	Y	1.     Spinning Grinding stone 2.     Flying debris from grinding material.	Medium	1.     Leather gloves to be worn when grinding 2.     Must have eye guard and must put on safety goggles to avoid eye injury by flying debris 3.     Must put on mask to avoid inhaling flying debris.
Lifting of heavy carton or Fabric rolls	Y	Factories Rules of 1979 describes : No man, woman or young person shall be employed in any factory to lift, carry or move by hand or on head, unaided by another person, any material, article, tool or appliance exceeding the following maximum limit in weight: (a) adult male ............... 68 lbs (b) adult female ............ 50 lbs (c) adolescent male ....... 50 lbs (d) adolescent female .... 40 lbs	High	1.     To avoid back injury must wear back support belt. 2.     Must Introduce Ergonomics program to all workers and train them on it

 

Responsibility of Occupational Safety Sub committee

• Daily round up and check that all machines are fitted with required safety guads.
• Daily round up and check that all personals are wearing required PPE as per requirements.
• Train workers on Occupational Safety and machine guarding.
• Train and motivate workers on use of PPE.
• Must introduce Ergonomic program and introduce daily Ergonomic exercises.