Occupational Health & Safety and other worker wellbeing areas: Results from labour inspections in the Bangladesh textile industry

Abstract

Literature suggests occupational health & safety (OHS) relates to and influences overall worker wellbeing and indicates that respective labour legislation and inspections can contribute to better workplaces and organisational outcomes if applied effectively. Following two disastrous accidents in Bangladesh in 2012 and 2013, the country’s Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) was substantially reformed and strengthened to improve OHS and other wellbeing areas across the industry. Using the textile sector as a case study, the objective of this study was to compare the current levels of compliance amongst all areas inspected by DIFE, including OHS, and reveal the extent to which inspections produce uniform effects. The sample consisted of 201 inspection records from textile factories in 2019 and was subject to descriptive analysis and non-parametric statistical tests to detect significant variations and associations. The results revealed average compliance levels, with OHS ranking in the middle compared with the rest of the worker wellbeing aspects inspected. The statistical tests showed significant differences in the compliance scores amongst the inspected areas and occupational health items and highly dissimilar patterns of cross-factory and cross-section compliance levels. Overall, the highly variable picture across the textile industry suggests DIFE could not yet follow a risk-based approach by focusing on the weakest wellbeing areas. Nevertheless, recommendations for improvement include improving the inspection checklist, including psychological workplace factors in legislation, upskill and staffing levels of the inspectorate, technical and financial support to businesses, and continuous engagement with all stakeholders.