Poor health and safety

Thursday, 01 November 2007 16:21

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Many of the most pressing health issues for garment workers stem from the endless hours they spend working. Poor ergonomics - how well a job task fits a worker’s body - combined with long hours and unrelenting pressure to meet production quotas lead to eye strain, fatigue and debilitating overuse injuries that often go undiagnosed and untreated. Rather than adapting tools and tasks to prevent injuries, bosses routinely ignore complaints of pain and discomfort, and fire workers who can no longer keep up with production.

Workers may also be fired for taking time off to get medical care or to recover from an injury orr illness. In Bangladesh, a worker interviewed in 2003 was ill at work for two months before she missed a day to go to the doctor. Her manager then deducted two days pay,and she lost her full attendance bonus. On return she was told to work an extra eight hours unpaid to catch up with her target.In total being unwell cost her 11 days’ wages.[1]

In many factories, workers are not given clean water to drink nor are they allowed to use the toilet when they need to. These restrictions are especially harmful to women, who are more vulnerable to bladder infections if they do not drink enough water. Women also need regular access to clean toilets with soap and water during menstruation, but these needs are often ignored. All over the world, there are endless examples of factories only opening toilets at certain times during the day; of having too few toilets; of making it compulsory to get a pass to go to the toilets and not having enough passes for the number of workers; of not allowing visits to the toilets at the end of the working day; of recording how often the women go to the
toilets and how long they stay, and so on. Indonesian workers reported having to wear dark clothing while menstruating because they knew that during the long working hours and with limited access to toilets, blood would leak through their clothes.

The reproductive health of both men and women workers, and their children, may be harmed by exposure to toxic chemicals, heat, noise, overwork and exhaustion. In factories where pregnant workers are allowed to keep their jobs, they may still be required to work in an unsafe environment, although they are often pressured to quit so the employer does not have to pay for maternity leave and benefits required by law.

In Bangladesh, some 200 workers have died and many more have been injured in garment factory fires between June 2004 and June 2006. Most died in stampedes as workers trapped in factories panicked and rushed to the only exit. Many factories have no emergency exits, others lock the exits in order to ensure work continues until it is finished, some exits are blocked by cartos, materials or chemicals being stored in corridors and/or doorways. In countries where the garment industry is relatively new or has expanded quickly factories are being set up in buildings that were not designed for the purpose or are being constructed inadequately. In April 2005 the Spectrum factory in Bangladesh  collapsed killing 64 workers and injuring over 70. The collapse was a result of the owner adding more stories to an already inadequate building, in order to increase capacity for orders.

In response to the pressure brought by international campaigners, big brands and retailers have begun to address the issue of health and safety. Most of the time, however, the improvements carried out have been the financial responsibility of suppliers.