As
of 2011, Bangladesh was the second-largest manufacturer of readymade garments
(RMG) after China and will be the largest manufacturer of readymade garments in
the next five years. In 2006, Bangladesh was the sixth-largest exporter in the
world after China, the EU, Hong Kong, Turkey, and India. In 2006, Bangladesh's
share in global garment exports was 2.8%. The United States was the largest
single market with exports of US$ 3.23 billion, up 30% from 2007. Today, the
United States remains the largest market for woven garments in Bangladesh, at US$ 2.42 billion, accounting for 47% of Bangladesh's total woven exports.
The European Union remains the largest regional destination - Bangladesh
exports US$ 5.36 billion worth of clothing; 50% of their total garment
exports. Bangladeshi knitwear accounted for 61% of the European Union's exports
of US $ 3.36 billion.
Problems
There are some other problems which are associated as below-
Working Environment problems
Garment
workers have protested their low wages. The first protests began in 2006, and
since then, there have been periodic demonstrations by workers. This has forced
the government to raise the minimum wage for workers. Many textile mills in
Bangladesh often compromise on the health and safety of workers because of the
pressure from ordering companies to create strict deadlines. Management will
often push workers to make sure an order is met. This creates a problem because
there is almost no way for workers to file a complaint. Almost none of the
factories have any kind of human resources department and local officials often
turn a blind eye to violations. Moreover, most of these workers are poor women.
Without a structure like formal unions, many do not have the ability to speak
unjustly due to a lack of knowledge or fear of losing economic security.
Health and safety problems
After
more than a century of industrial experience and the development of national
regulations and international conventions, Bangladeshi workers continue to lose
their health and lives as they contribute to national prosperity. In the case
of women workers, the situation is even worse. Female workers face a variety of
occupational health risks such as work environment risks, physical hazards, and
mental hazards. Risks to the work environment include long working hours,
absence of vacation opportunities, overcrowded and overcrowded working
conditions, lack of health facilities and safety measures, lack of facilities
for workers, and lack of safe drinking water. On the other hand, physical hazards
include exposure to toxic agents, awkward postures, and repetitive motion.
Exposure to sexual, verbal, and emotional harassment and violence in their
workplace poses some common mental health risks. These hazards not only affect
the mental and physical well-being of women workers but also the quality and
productivity of the workforce across the country.
Ergonomic problems
Musculoskeletal
disorders have been identified as an important concern among garment workers.
These complaints relate to highly repetitive movements, awkward postures in the
sitting position, repetitive hand and arm movements, working long hours without
adequate breaks, and poorly designed workstations. These risk factors cause adverse
health consequences for workers such as neck, back, arm, shoulder, and
lower limb muscle complaints. Most of the female workers in the garment factory
work as sewing operators, sewing operator helpers, cutting workers, and
finishing workers. Sewing machine operators usually work in a sitting position
for a long time, including forwarding and flexing the head, neck, and torso. This
results in pressure on the neck and back and eventually pain. A case study
conducted by Habib M, one of the leading sewing machine operators in
Bangladesh found that the high risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder
is related to the condition of sitting for 6 to 7 hours more than 30° with the
neck bent. In addition, sitting in a flexed position facing forward causes the
lumbar spine to flatten which leads to unbalanced pressure on the disc and
steady contraction of the back extension muscles. A flattened lumbar spine can
cause back fatigue, disc degeneration, and back injury. However, it is not just
about the posture, the design of the workstation can exacerbate the problem. Sarder
and colleagues noticed that the garment factory seats had no rear part, which
allowed a short break to prevent the upper body from bending. Also, many seats
are stiff and wooden, without cushions to prevent compression in the area of
ischemic tuberculosis. Although some factories have sewing machine tables
with a 70-80 cm height adjustable option, workers rarely or never adjust them
because it takes 10 to 15 minutes to adjust them.
Bleaching agents and azo dyes problems
There
is a wide range of chemicals used in textile production for dyeing and
printing, which can be exposed by these workers. These include chemicals but
are not limited to bleaching agents and azo dyes. Azo dyes, such as aniline and
benzidine, account for more than 50% of the dyes produced each year as of 2006.
This was due to their high stability in light and washing and their resistance
to microbial activity. The toxic effects of these dyes include hypersensitivity
and irritating effects such as contact dermatitis and asthma, as well as
exposure-related concerns for harmful diseases such as bladder, nose,
esophagus, stomach, colon, rectal, nasopharyngeal, and lung cancer. Studies
have shown that changes in neutrophil function and sensitivity may have
hypersensitivity effects, which contribute to chronic inflammatory diseases of
the skin and respiratory tract. Once this sensitivity occurs, a person becomes
more susceptible to the development of allergic disease in subsequent contact
with the offending agent. Exposure to these chemicals usually occurs through direct
contact with the skin or through the inhalation of dye particles.
Sandblasting problems
Sandblasting
is a technique used on denim that gives the garment a dilapidated look. The
sand that is used often consists of 95% quartz and 15% feldspar. Silicosis is
an often fatal lung disease that comes in contact with silica dust in the
respiratory tract. Silicosis often leads to more serious diseases of the lungs
such as; Lung cancer, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. In 2003, Turkish
investigators conducted a case study in the Journal of Occupational Health in
five sandblasting factories. They found that workers inside the poorly
ventilated factory were exposed to respiratory silica dust at 20 times the
recommended safety level. This case study follows a sample of sandblasters from
these factories, with an average age of 23 years and an employment period of
three years. By the time the study was completed, one-third of the sandblasters
had lab-confirmed silicosis and two workers had died during the study.
Potassium permanganate problems
Another popular chemical involved in the alternative sandblasting technique is
potassium permanganate. It is an odorless, purple, sand-like oxidizing agent.
It is used to lighten the color of denim in certain areas. There are multiple
exposure routes for potassium permanganate to cause severe adverse reactions in
the worker, such as skin contact, eye contact, breathing, and feeding. When
potassium permanganate comes in contact with the skin, it can cause irritation,
deep burns, rashes, and even skin death. If potassium permanganate is exposed
to the eyes, severe irritation, as well as permanent damage to the eyes, is
possible. Respiration of potassium permanganate can irritate the respiratory
tract and can even lead to chronic lung diseases such as asthma, silicosis, and
pulmonary edema. Taking potassium permanganate results in severe nausea and
diarrhea and finally, in some rare cases, prolonged exposure to potassium
permanganate can adversely affect the liver and kidneys and even reduce
fertility.
Solutions
The
following recommendations can be applied as solutions to reduce the burden of
musculoskeletal disease among workers in the garment industry-
i.
Although there are labor laws for maintaining occupational health and safety,
overall standards are low due to lax enforcement of labor laws, and employers
do not take responsibility for maintaining and optimizing work conditions. The foremost initiative is to establish policies in the garment factory and have
them monitored by a committee representing both the owner and the employee.
ii.
Promoting ergonomic practices in factories can be one of the ways to reduce
ergonomic hazards among workers. Proper storage and handling of heavy materials
can play an important role in reducing musculoskeletal problems. These
interventions may include the provision of multi-level racks for trolleys and
wheels to carry clothes and materials, reduction of height differences for
self-removal of materials, elimination of necessary tasks such as bending or
twisting, etc. This will prevent workers from carrying heavy loads manually and
reduce back pain or muscle sprains.
iii.
Workstation design is important to reduce awkward postures for the neck, back,
and shoulders. The position of the table, chair, and paddle of the sewing
machine should be adjusted considering the height of the worker's body in the
sitting position. The height of the sewing machine table should be adjusted
from 10 cm to 15 cm above the elbow height. It should be tilted 10 ° to 15°
towards the operator and the needle 20 ° backward and the position of the
paddle should be placed in front and adjusted according to the comfort of the
user. Adjustable desk height, risky operation of the table, needle angle, and
position of the paddle should induce a straighter position of the head, neck,
and trunk. Only the adjustment of the sewing machine table does not ensure good
posture; Chair coordination is also an important issue. The chair should adjust
between 51 cm and 61 cm; The backrest distance should be adjusted horizontally
by about 5 cm and the backrest height should be fixed at 25 cm. Significant
studies of the physical discomfort experienced by sewing machine operators by
changing the angle of the seat pan and the backrest of the chair have also been
observed.
iv. Since a lack of knowledge about occupational disease is thought to be related to high muscular disease, providing training to both employers and employees is a great way to solve these problems.
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