RMG Sustainability Council (RSC)

Around 200 senior management officials from 50 RMG factories participated in an RSC workshop to enhance their knowledge of common fire and life safety remediation challenges on 30 October 2024. The RSC’s Fire & Life Safety Department facilitated the workshop as part of our 360-degree knowledge dissemination initiative. RSC has been conducting such workshops and meetings alongside its inspection program to ensure that the workplace remains safe for the overall growth and sustainability of the RMG sector. During the workshop, the facilitators Yusuf Ahmed, Senior Fire & Life Safety Engineer and A N Faisal Ahmed Senior Fire & Life Safety Engineer covered topics like steelwork fire protection, steel rack storage fire protection systems, floor penetration & product certificate validation procedures, vestibules with storage, utility & basement fire separations between different occupancies, and common mistakes in protecting means of egress and so forth. The Chief Safety Officer (CSO) of RSC, Md Hassan Nawazis, M.Sc, MSFPE, MIEB thanked the participants and the facilitating team for organising such a learning session for the decision-makers of the RMG factories. He wished that RSC would organize more events to disseminate the knowledge not only among the compliance team but also the management body so that safety maintenance becomes a culture of the RMG factories. “I believe that this type of workshop creates an opportunity for factory management and RSC to ensure long-term and sustainable solutions to various safety challenges”, Md Hassan Nawazis, M.Sc, MSFPE, MIEB, the CSO said. The participants thanked RSC for organizing the workshop and expressed their willingness to join similar kinds of workshops in future. Abdul Haque Shah Sefat Uddin Ahmed Md. Hasanuzzaman Md Mehedi Hasan, EIT S.M. Hasanul Banna Kasemi, EIT Mohammad Ahsan Ullah A J M Zobaidur Rahman Kaniz Fatema Labony George Faller Alke Boessiger Christina Hajagos-Clausen Joachim Juette-Overmeyer Miran Ali (米然·阿里）Nafis Ud Doula Felicity Tapsell Michael Bride Ziaur Rahman Shahriar Rouf

Thank you very much International Accord for highlighting the successful journey of our OSH Complaints team. This has been truly a great achievement earned through a meaningful collaboration among different stakeholders and dedication of the very complaints team. Congratulations to all who contributed to this achievement! ✨

It’s rare to get the full house together. We’ve been trying it for so long ...never happened.😥 Finally, we’ve made it! Yesterday it was almost a full house, everyone was wearing the same colour. So, why late? We rushed to the rooftop and posed for these ones. How was it? What a nice memory for tomorrow! Cheer up RSC! 💫 #RMGSustainabilityCouncil

Our OSH training programme team has been relentlessly working with RMG workers, industry owners, trade union, brands and government to ensure the workplace safety. we are happy to share a glimpse of the activities performed by our training team. Shah Sefat Uddin Ahmed A J M Zobaidur Rahman Taslima Khanam Abir Hosen Md. Sohel Rana

At RMG Sustainability Council, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of electrical safety in the RMG sector. During the physical inspections of electrical systems—including transformers, substations, and switchgear—the Electrical Safety Engineering Team occasionally encountered subpar transformer oil quality, which required shutting down oil-type transformers until high-quality or centrifuged oil could be sourced. On October 3, 2024, our Electrical Safety Engineering team invited experts from the Central Equipment Repair Shop (CERS) under the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to present valuable insights on transformer oil testing and the health of transformer oil. This presentation session focused on the risks associated with deteriorated transformer oil, breakdown voltage, and the importance of comprehensive oil testing. The session emphasized that routine tests—such as Visual Appearance, Color, Breakdown Voltage, Specific Resistivity, Dielectric Dissipation Factor, Moisture Content, and Neutralization/Total Acid Number—are essential for assessing the health of transformer oil and identifying potential risks. Our Electrical Safety Engineering team empowers customers with a robust safety and compliance system, promoting the implementation of electrical safety standards. Through thorough inspections and monitoring of remediation efforts, our team ensures workplace safety in the RMG industry while continually enhancing safety protocols across our operations. #TransformerSafety #ElectricalEngineering #OilTesting #RMGIndustry

“Out of our 25 factories, 10 have got Letters of Recognition (LoR) from RSC for the completion of the initial inspection findings. Today I am receiving the LoR for the 10th factory of our group. This is a proud moment for us,” said one of the representatives* of the RSC-covered factories who attended the LoR distribution programme today. RSC issues the Letter of Recognition to any RMG factory when they complete the remediation of each of all non-compliances identified during the safety inspections. Today, 13 new factories received the LoR at an event organized at the RSC office. They acknowledged the hard work and dedication of RSC engineers and other members of the organization. during the initial inspections. The RSC Chief Safety Officer Md Hassan Nawazis and Senior HoD Sefat Ahmed thanked the factories for demonstrating their commitment towards ensuring minimum life safety standards in the RMG industry which is the biggest contributor to the national economy of Bangladesh. Here are a few more snaps of the recent LoR event. *We do not publicly mention the name and identity of any factory and individuals to avoid promotion.

The RSC Remediation Programme Department (RPD) in collaboration with the OSH Training, and OSH Complaints Department organized an orientation programme for 10 newly listed factories under the RSC Programme. The session was designed to orient the new factories with the full scope of the RSC programme. During the event, we provided an overview of our support mechanisms for remediation efforts, safety training initiatives, and the independent complaints mechanism available to workers in RMG factories. We also responded to the queries from the factory management present at the occasion and encouraged them to contact their respective RPOs (Remediation Programme Officers) for any assistance.  Abdul Haque Shah Sefat Uddin Ahmed Ovijit Mutsuddi

The RSC remains committed to fostering sustainable growth in Bangladesh's RMG industry by creating a safe and trustworthy sourcing hub for the global market. In continuation of that the RSC achieved a significant milestone on 31st July by successfully resolving 100 CCM (Non-OSH Pilot) cases within a short period. This achievement results from collaborative efforts, supportive engagement, and ongoing guidance from our signatories including brands, BGMEA/BKMEA, RMG factories, and union colleagues.