Abstract
This study aims to identify the ongoing physical and psychological health vulnerabilities of the readymade garment (RMG) factory workers involved in the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013, along with their experiences within the current socioeconomic and political contexts of Bangladesh. Seventeen Rana Plaza survivors participated in unstructured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews. Interviews were thematically analyzed using Haddon’s matrix to examine pre-event, event, and post-event injury experiences. The collapse of the Rana Plaza building resulted in significant physical and emotional trauma for those who survived the event. The majority of the participants were forced to attend work on the day of the collapse. Participants reported physical health complaints related to bone injuries/fractures and amputation, severe headache, kidney problems, and functional difficulties. In addition to the reported physical health issues, the participants revealed psychological health issues including trauma, depression and suicidal ideation, sleep disorders, anxiety, and sudden anger. Participants described barriers to their potential for re-employment in the RMG sector and outlined their limited access to free healthcare for follow-up treatment. Those who survived the collapse of the Rana Plaza building continue to experience significant adverse physical and emotional outcomes related to the disaster. Yet, they have little recourse to ensure the availability of adequate health care and rehabilitation. Given the international reliance on the Bangladeshi RMG industry, continued pressure to ensure care is provided for these survivors, and to reduce the risk of future disasters, is necessary.
Highlights
The collapse of the Rana Plaza in Savar Upazila, Dhaka, Bangladesh on 24 April 2013, was the worst and deadliest garment factory disaster on record [1,2]
In terms of current employment in the readymade garment (RMG) sector, five participants mentioned that they had limited access to this sector, none of them were engaged in RMG work
The fact they were not working in the sector was reported as related to their fear of working in this sector or because they had decided to change their occupation after the disaster
Summary
The collapse of the Rana Plaza in Savar Upazila, Dhaka, Bangladesh on 24 April 2013, was the worst and deadliest garment factory disaster on record [1,2]. The collapse of the eight-story building, which housed a private bank, apartments, stores, and clothing factories, occurred the day after the discovery of a crack on the third floor [1]. While the bank and some of the other shops closed immediately when the crack was noticed [7,12], the management of the clothing factories continued production and remained open until the time of the collapse. In 2012, a fire in the Tazreen Fashion factory, Ashulia (approximately 24 km from Rana Plaza) killed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
