In 2013, there was outrage around the world when 1,134 people died and more than 2,500 injured after an eight-storey garment factory complex called Rana Plaza collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This was the worst ever industrial incident to hit the garment industry.
In the aftermath of the disaster, western brands worked with unions, factory owners, NGOs and the Government of Bangladesh to improve safety, with notable results. Fire and building safety has hugely improved with fire alarm systems, fire doors, sprinkler systems, electrical upgrades and building structure retrofitting.
Eight years on, garment workers are still losing their lives while making our clothes. In November 2020, 12 people were killed in an explosion at a garment factory in Gujarat, India. In March this year, 20 people were killed and dozens left injured after a fire tore through a clothing factory in Cairo, Egypt, with a further eight killed and 29 injured when a 10-storey building collapsed in the same city later that month. Meanwhile, in Gazipur, Bangladesh, one person died and another 42 workers were left injured following a factory fire.
https://www.vogue.com/article/garment-worker-rights-protection-eight-years-after-rana-plaza
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