DHAKA: According to International Labour Organization (ILO) some 12,260 workers were killed and 17,183 injured in accidents in their workplaces in Bangladesh from 2005 to 2014.
Another 288 workers were died in the January-February of 2015, it added.
Assistant director of Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) of Bangladesh M Omar Faruq on Sunday disclosed the information at National Press Club ahead of World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28.
M Omar Faruq addressed a seminar, organized by OSHE, on building a preventive culture of safety and health at workplaces on the day.
Highlighting the findings of ILO, Omar Faruq said around 6,400 workers around the globe sustain injuries at everyday; of around 2.3 million workers, who die every year, two million die in diseases.
“Around 313 million accidents occur due to scarcity of safety measures; 160 million workers fall sick. These cause four percent loss of world’s GDP,” he added.
He further said 8.7 percent contributions in Bangladesh’s economy come from unofficial institutions which do not have enough overseeing measures of safe working environment and health safety.
Omar Faruq also called on the government to formulate principles of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act-2013 and implement the labour law.
Inspector General of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments Syed Ahmed said ensuring safety and health at workplaces were very important.
Labour and employment secretary Mikail Shipar said readymade garments workers were living under the threat of occupational and health safety.
He also said the labour law amended after 72 days of Rana Plaza collapse. We have increased inspection prioritizing the safety of factories and workers.
He also said incumbent government was very conscious about the occupational and health safety as it was a right of the workers.
With OSHE chairperson Saki Rezwana in the chair, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) director (retd) Abul Bashar and Bangladesh Occupational Safety Board adviser Engineer Lutful Bari, among others, also addressed the conference.
BDST: 2113 HRS, APR 26, 2015
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