Fire Safety in Garment Factories

Analysis

Issue: Should garment factories review there fire safety standards?

Type: Prescriptive

Conclusion: Yes, garment factories should be forced to review their fire safety standards.

Reasons:

• Reason 1- There would be reduced instances of fire accidents all over the globe. For instance, studies from Pakistan and Bangladesh indicate that there would have been few deaths in cases where garment factories had embraced effective fire safety standards. This implies that they should be continuously persuaded to put these measures in place as they look forward to conducting their operations in a more effective manner with a safer working environment. The training of employees could assist minimize these accidents.
• Reason 2- Death is extremely horrifying especially in instances where it involves a large population. For instance, the latest statistics from fire outbreaks in garment factories indicate that about 400 works lost their lives in Asian garment factories. These could have been effectively prevented before their occurrence.
• Reason 3-Consumers expect a lot from garment factories and they can satisfy the needs of these consumers by effectively adhering to the fire safety standards. They should show their consumers that they are concerned about their internal stakeholders first, i.e. employees before they can extend the same to customers. There should be no cry from consumers about the safety standards of garment factories.
• Reason 4-Fires have been the mother of calamities associated with garment factories. This can only be alleviated in cases where the garment factories are able to take effective measures to mitigate instances of fire. For example, it is noted in the article that the Clean Clothes Campaign revealed that about 500 deaths in garment factories have emanated from fires since 2006. This undesirable statistics justify the reason for the improvement of fire safety standards and Bangladesh and other parts of the globe. 
• Reason 5-Funds for these improvements and the promotion of the fire safety standards in garment factories are readily available. Global retailers and marketers such as Walmart and Gap have played the leading role of availing funds for the improvement of fire safety standards in countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh. The governments of these countries must ensure that they effectively support such measures and promote fire safety standards. 

Ambiguous Language:

• Outrage consumers – Open to interpretation, how one feels about the fire safety standards in garment factories
• Real change – open to interpretation, the actual level of change
• Appear to indicate – open to interpretation, exemplify fire standards in garment factories
• Government support – abstract, how is this measured?
• Robust inspection – open to interpretation, detailed inspection of these fcatories
• Available finances- open to different interpretation. What constitute proper training?
• Would bear the costs- how do they carry the costs? 

Value Conflict:

Safety vs. Profits

Life vs. Money

Ethics vs. Financial Security 

Value Preference:

Safety, Life, and Ethics

Value Assumptions:

The assumption is that the safety standards, life, and ethical standards should be prioritized and others would follow as many companies continue to be covered for fire safety.

Descriptive Assumptions:

• Reason #1 – The assumption is that most accidents occurring in garment factories emanate from fires that come out of ignorance. Most fire factories in Bangladesh and Pakistan have not been careful enough to prevent the occurrence of these fires leading to enormous deaths.
• Reason #2 – The assumption that a robust inspection system will help alleviate fire accidents in garment factories. Garment factories need to be inspected each time in order to ensure that they uphold the fire safety standards at all moments
• Reason #3 – The assumption that government support would automatically help alleviate fire accidents in garment factories especially in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Companies such as Gap and Walmart have already availed the funds and all they need is government support.
• Reason #4 – The assumption that garment factories would tend to charge higher costs for their clothes in order to recover the amounts spent on the maintenance of the dire safety standards. This will affect the relationship with consumers and the achievement of the profit motives of the companies in Bangladesh and other parts of the globe.                                                                                                                      

Evaluate

Fallacies:

·   Reason #2 – Appeals to sentiments …Not all inspections would bring out the true results of fire safety standards in these factories…which is why the Clean Clothe Campaign reported at least 500 deaths in Bangladesh since 2006. 

·  Reason #3 – Glittering Generalizations- The government starts with the citizens of the country and does not only look into those in power. The assertion about government is a wrong generalization.

·  Reason #4 – Appeals to sentiments….Not all garment factories would charge high prices on their clothes to recover their costs…which is why some garment factories are ranked best in terms of ethical standards.

Evidence:

• Research studies– Statistics indicate that Asian garment factories alone lost about 400 workers in the recent fire accidents. This emanated from the lack of proper fire safety standards in these factories. Again, the Clean Clothe Campaign conducted studies on instances of fire in garment factories in Bangladesh and revealed that at least 500 workers in garment factories have lost their lives through fires since 2006. All these are worrying trends.  
• Statistics – A recent fire outburst in a Bangladesh garment factories claimed the lives of over 500 workers where millions of valuable things burnt to ashes. Apparently, this has been the case for decades where many people working in these factories have lost their lives either through panic in the event of a fire outbreak or because of the huge dusky smoke that t hey inhale as well as the collapse of the factory structures. Because of a wide array of fabrics and yarn within the garment industry, workers working in these factories are susceptible to a risk of fire if no appropriate precautions and measures are put in place.
• Authorities – The authorities unveils that, most of the garment factories do not consider building their structures in a way that should there be any fire outbreak, employees are evacuated safely out of the buildings. Consequently, employees are able to move out of a building on fire easily without causing others to panic. Exit doors should be built in a manner that they are opened to the outside rather than in the inside. in the case of a fire, employees are able to move outside easily. The management should as well provide safety procedures and regulations that are clearly understood to all employees such that when they strictly follow the rules and regulations stipulated in the fire safety manual, they remain well-composed and are able to manage themselves in an event of a fire.
• Study – A recent fire outburst in a Bangladesh garment factories claimed quite a number of lives where millions of valuable things burnt to ashes. Recent studies shows that apparently, this has been the case for decades where many people working in these factories have lost their lives either through panic in the event of a fire outbreak or because of the huge dusky smoke that t hey inhale as well as the collapse of the factory structures. Because of a wide array of fabrics and yarn within the garment industry, workers working in these factories are susceptible to a risk of fire if no appropriate precautions and measures are put in place. The fact that such factories usually require a stepped up electricity to supply huge amounts of power, which is undeniably vital for the successful running of the factory activities render such factories vulnerable to a fire outbreak in an event of an electrical short circuit.
• Research and Study – Recent studies and research findings unveils that fire can be soothing in the logic that the very act of starting a fire expresses a sense of proper management of the environment, which in turn increases an individual’s buoyancy in handling a situation and thus considered psychologically imperative. Fire can cause detrimental damages to human beings such as death, injuries as well as cause damage and loss of valuable property.
• Personal experience – epidemic in garment factories in most cases turn out to be incredibly fatal simply because there are no appropriate measures and precautions in place.
• Statistics – In particular, the tremendous increases in the numbers of fire victims succumbing to their death because of fire and/ or smoke inhalation are overwhelming and they account to about 2.5% of deaths yearly. This is not exceptional in the multi-storey garment factories globally.

Rival Cause: Not a causal claim

Significant Omitted Information:

• Who are those garment factories who do not train their employees on fire safety measures?
• Why do most garment factories ignore training their employees on fire safety measures?
• What ere the legal and ethical implications of garment factories’ failure to adhering to fire safety measures?
• How much money is approximately lost in the event of a fire outbreak?
• What type of specific machines are overheated or loosely fixed?
• How does the authority respond to the problem of garment factories ignoring to some of the key fire safety measures?
• What are the flammable substances that should be kept away from potential sources of ignition?

Concluding Thoughts:

The foregoing analysis clearly unveils that fire safety is an equally important discipline that should be undertaken with a lot of keenness. It is my strong conviction that there is need to observe fire safety measures that are worth pursuing in a bid to reduce the risk of fire, which is an extremely dangerous incident. Garment factories should strictly review their fire safety measure and ensure that they are fully implemented. The author’s conclusion on this issue is well represented but lacks some essential parts that needed proper modification. My conclusion on the critically analyzed and evaluated article is reasonable enough to back up the author’s reasoning on the matter.

Answering the Question:

The foregoing critical analysis and evaluation clearly indicates that garment factories have no ruse than identify potential fire hazards, the most vulnerable workers, and implement the necessary strategies and measures relevant to the approaches directed towards the fight against fire outbreaks, which has often claimed many lives in many of garment factories. The article shows that certainly, there are those garment industries who consider fire safety measure such as proper disposal of waste materials, appropriate handling and store of flammable substances, regular training of employees, and the use of well maintained and properly inspected machines with the required expertise among other relevant precautions are extremely important. If a few factories have managed, it is my believe that, others too can manage to adhere to these fire safety rules and regulations. Undertaking precautionary measures helps to avoid a risk that could lead to loss of lives as well as property.