Health and Safety in Garment Industries
The health and safety of workers in garment manufacturing factories have been ignored by both employers and international bodies responsible for catering for them. Most of these violations occur in countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, who have majored in clothing production. Therefore, the paper exhumes the challenges faced by workers in garment industries, the responsible authority for reducing the risks, and intervention measures to overcome the difficulties.
Akhter, S., Rutherford, S., & Chu, C. (2019). Exploring the system capacity to meet occupational health and safety needs: the case of the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh. BMC health services research, 19 (1), 435.
The researcher focused on the occupational health and safety of workers in the ready-made garment in Bangladesh. The researchers wanted to identify what precautionary measures have been put in place to protect these workers after reported cases of accidents. Interviews were conducted using government officials, employees, and doctors in the sector to analyze the conditions. From their findings, the most challenges were inadequate health services for the workers, who were not adequately trained to protect themselves. Also, there was a shortage of equipment to help in monitoring of employee safety. Therefore, the identified reasons for failure to conduct the required inspection and control of workers’ health and safety can be attributed to both the Inspection body and the government in enforcing the law. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The study conducted will be useful in relating the primary causes that led to the failure in caring for workers in garment manufacturing.
Amarasinghe, N. C., & De AlwisSenevirathne, R. (2016). Tool development to assess the work-related neck and upper limb musculoskeletal disorders among female garment workers in Sri-Lanka. Work, 55 (2), 297-303.
The study was carried out by Amarasinghe and AlwisSenevirathne, focusing on identifying the best development tools, which will assess work-related musculoskeletal disorders in people working in garment manufacturing industries in Sri Lanka. The diseases classified in the study were on the neck, elbow, wrist, and shoulder with female workers. They first focused on the precise way to determine the disorders and formulate a potent tool for their identification. The examination used a Neck and Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire (NULMSDQ) and Consultant Rheumatologist. The results from the study indicated that there were musculoskeletal disorders of female workers as the tool showed internal consistency, sensitivity, high specificity, and test re-test reliability. Their research shows that female workers in garment industries experience upper limb and neck disarray frequently. The study promotes the identification of diseases in joints, which play a primary role in the working of the workers. However, the study ignores men in these industries and respiratory diseases, which are rampant due to massive congestion.
The resource will be essential in my research, as it elaborates on the best way to assess the health and safety of garment manufacturing workers.
Moffett, S. (2019). Do you know where your clothes come from? – Garment Factory Conditions to be Monitored | Capacity4dev. Retrieved from https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/article/do-you-know-where-your-clothes-come-%E2%80%93-garment-factory-conditions-be-monitored
The article encompasses on the disasters that have been caused by poor health and safety measures in garment industries. The author focuses on Bangladesh and India, which employ many low-income families without caring for their health and safety. The author argues that these are the leading industries in both developed and developing countries; hence, high income generated from the sale of the garments should be used to create a favorable environment for these hardworking women. Also, the low skills and untrained workforce have hindered the formation of active unions, which can encourage their members to resist such severe working conditions. Relevant stakeholders, such as fashion companies, development partners, and other human groups, should unify and promote the health and safety of their hardworking producers. The article touches all problematic aspects that workers face in their daily work routine, calling on more authorities to help in developing solutions. There is less focus on the male workforce, who also plays various roles in ensuring that clothes reach the market.
The article will be essential for my research paper as it elaborates on the relationship between workers and benefiting bodies and companies, which can promote safety and health for improved production.
Parimalam, P., Kamalamma, N., & Ganguli, A. K. (2006). Ergonomic interventions to improve the work environment in garment manufacturing units. Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 10 (2), 74.
Ergonomic intervention guidelines were the main interest of the researchers in the garment manufacturing units. The authors researched in India, where various data collection techniques such as observation of the workplace, interviews, and risk assessment were carried out. They used 216 workers from 18 garment units surrounding the area. There were several gaps identified in those manufacturing units, including poor ventilation, improper personal-protective equipment, unergonomic workstations, and excessive noise for the workers. The suggestions are given my Parimalam, Kamalamma, and Ganguli will help the units in ensuring that the gaps identified in workers’ environments, and their equipment and tools are correct. The health and safety of the employees lay with the management of those garment manufacturing units. Therefore, covering these gaps would promote the improvement of outcomes for the workers.
The article is crucial in answering my research question because it expounds on the gaps in garment manufacturing units, and gives directions to promote health and safety for their workers.