ILO Says Fire Safety Measures Lacking in Garment Sector

12 April 2013
The Cambodia Daily
Economy and commerce / Labor
Ath Thorn / Better Factories Cambodia / Better Factories Cambodia program / BFC / Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Demographic Union / Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Demographic Union president Ath Thorn / factory conditions / fire hazard / fires / Garment Industry / Garment Manufacture Association in Cambodia (GMAC) / health and safety standards / ILO / International Labor Organization / mass fainting / safety standards / Stanford University / Strikes / worker conditions

Cambodia’s garment industry is experiencing a worrying rise in fire safety violations as factories struggle to cope with a sharp increase in the number of orders they are receiving, the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Better Factories Cambodia program (BFC) said in a report on Thursday. The ILO also said that the industry was giving workers excessive amounts of overtime—defined as more than two hours extra per day—and that there was a lack of improvement to factors that contribute to episodes of mass fainting. … Despite the ILO’s repeated visits to the 130 factories, “improvements are not being made in many areas,” the report continued. For example, ventilation and air circulation in factories had worsened over the period, as had work place cleanliness and functioning toilets. …

http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ilo-says-fire-safety-measures-lacking-in-garment-sector-18628/