Accord on Fire & Building Safety in Bangladesh: What Garment Factories Need to Comply

No event in Bangladesh's industrial history had a greater impact on factory safety than the Rana Plaza building collapse of 24 April 2013. The eight-floor commercial building in Savar, Dhaka, housed five garment factories employing approximately 5,000 workers. Structural cracks had been noted the day before the collapse. Factory workers were ordered back to work despite the warnings. The building collapsed in minutes, killing 1,134 people and injuring more than 2,500.

The international response was swift and lasting. Within two months, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh was established — a legally binding agreement between global clothing brands and labour organisations that imposed systematic safety inspections and remediation requirements on every factory in their supply chain. More than 220 brands ultimately signed the Accord, creating an inspection programme covering over 2,000 factories.

Thirteen years later, the successor organisation — the Readymade Sustainability Council (RSC) — continues the inspection and compliance programme. For every garment factory in Bangladesh that supplies brands enrolled in the RSC programme, compliance is not optional. Understanding the requirements, the inspection process, and the remediation pathway is essential for factory management.

History of the Accord: From 2013 to RSC

The original Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh was signed in May 2013, initially for a five-year period. Its founding signatories included H&M, Primark, Inditex, PVH, Tesco, and more than 40 other European brands, along with IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union representing garment workers worldwide.

The Accord was a genuinely novel instrument. It was legally binding on signatory brands — not just a voluntary code of conduct. Brands committed to:

• Funding safety inspections of their Bangladesh supplier factories
• Requiring their suppliers to remediate identified safety deficiencies
• Maintaining orders only with factories that were actively pursuing compliance
• Publishing factory inspection results publicly (an unprecedented transparency requirement)

The Accord hired independent safety inspectors — structural engineers, fire safety engineers, and electrical safety experts — to conduct detailed factory inspections against standardised protocols. The inspection results and factory remediation plans were published on the Accord website, accessible to researchers, journalists, and the public.

In 2017, the Accord was renewed for a second five-year period with an updated inspection protocol and expanded scope. In 2021, as the Accord's mandate was due to expire, it transitioned to the RSC — the Readymade Sustainability Council — a tripartite Bangladeshi-managed body with representation from brands (through the Global Brand Programme), factory associations (including BGMEA and BKMEA), and worker representatives.

The RSC inherited the Accord's infrastructure: the inspection database, the inspection protocols, the factory remediation tracking system, and the team of safety engineers and inspectors. The fundamental model — independent inspection, mandatory remediation, public disclosure — continues under RSC governance.

RSC Fire Safety Requirements: What Factories Must Achieve

RSC's fire safety inspection protocol covers the following elements. Each element has specific technical requirements against which factories are assessed during RSC inspections.

Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm Systems

Every factory enrolled in the RSC programme must have a functional automatic fire detection and alarm system. The system must meet the following requirements:

System type: Addressable automatic fire detection is required for factories above a specified size. Addressable systems (as opposed to conventional non-addressable systems) allow individual detector identification — when an alarm activates, the control panel indicates which specific detector has triggered, allowing rapid localisation of the fire source. For large multi-floor Bangladesh factories, this localisation capability is essential for effective response.

Detection coverage: Smoke detectors must be installed in all areas where fire could originate — production floors, raw material stores, generator rooms, electrical rooms, offices, canteens, and worker facilities. Heat detectors are used where smoke detection is inappropriate (kitchens, ironing areas where steam could cause false alarms). Manual call points (break glass) must be accessible at all exit routes, with maximum travel distance to any call point not exceeding 30 metres.

Alarm audibility: Fire alarms must be audible throughout all areas of the factory. In production areas with high ambient noise from machinery — looms, sewing machines, cutting equipment — alarm horns must achieve a minimum of 75 dB(A) above the ambient noise level at the worker's position. In very noisy environments, visual alarm devices (flashing strobes) must supplement audible alarms.

Emergency voice communication: For factories above four stories, RSC increasingly requires voice alarm capability — a PA system that can broadcast pre-recorded or live voice evacuation instructions alongside the alarm tone. This capability significantly improves evacuation behaviour compared to tone-only alarms.

Fire alarm panel location: The fire alarm control panel must be in a staffed location — typically the security room or main reception — and must be monitored 24/7 during factory operating hours. A dedicated fire alarm monitoring station with a trained security guard responsible for alarm response and initial notification is the expected standard.

Sprinkler Systems

Sprinkler systems are required in most Bangladesh garment factories under RSC standards. The specific requirements depend on building type, construction, and occupancy classification.

Design standard: Sprinkler system design must follow NFPA 13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems) or a nationally recognised equivalent. NFPA 13 specifies sprinkler spacing, water supply requirements, pipe sizing, and test and inspection procedures.

Water supply: A reliable, adequate water supply is the most critical element of a sprinkler system. RSC inspectors verify that factories have:

• A dedicated water storage tank providing a minimum 60-minute supply at the design flow rate
• Dedicated fire pump(s) capable of maintaining the design pressure and flow
• Jockey pump for pressure maintenance in the distribution piping
• Connection for fire department pumper if required

Bangladesh's municipal water supply pressure is frequently inadequate for direct sprinkler supply — virtually all Bangladesh factory sprinkler installations require dedicated storage tanks and pumping systems.

Sprinkler head types: Standard pendant spray sprinklers are used in open production areas. In areas with rack or shelf storage, in-rack sprinklers may be required. In generator rooms and transformer areas, more specialised designs apply.

Inspection and testing: RSC requires that installed sprinkler systems be regularly inspected and tested per NFPA 25 (Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems). Annual inspections by qualified fire protection engineers must be documented.

Fire Exits and Evacuation Routes

Exit capacity: The number and width of exits must be sufficient to evacuate the entire factory workforce within the time specified by NFPA 101. For large Bangladesh factories with thousands of workers per floor, this frequently requires multiple wide exits on every floor — a requirement that some older buildings fail to meet and that may require structural modifications.

Exit marking: All exit doors must be clearly and visibly marked with exit signs (locally lit or self-luminous). Exit signs must be visible from any point on the escape route. Bangladesh factories must use directional "EXIT" signs or equivalent Bangla text signs that meet NFPA 101 visibility requirements.

Emergency lighting: Emergency lighting must illuminate all evacuation routes for a minimum of 90 minutes following mains power failure. LED emergency luminaires with sealed maintenance-free batteries are the recommended technology for Bangladesh factory environments. Emergency lighting is a common finding in RSC inspections — many older factory installations have failed or inadequate emergency lighting systems.

Exit door operation: All exit doors on evacuation routes must be openable from the inside without a key. This is a recurring RSC inspection finding — factories that lock exit doors (often to prevent worker theft of garments) must replace locking mechanisms with panic hardware that allows immediate egress without a key.

Building Structural Requirements

RSC's structural assessment programme, delivered by licensed structural engineers, assesses factory buildings for structural adequacy — the adequacy of the building structure to carry its design loads safely.

Structural non-conformities identified in RSC inspections fall into several categories:

Overloading: Factories that have added machinery, rooftop water tanks, or additional floor loads beyond the building's original design capacity. Remediation typically requires load reduction or structural strengthening.

Inadequate structural members: Columns, beams, or slabs with insufficient cross-section for the loads they carry. Remediation can range from column jacketing to beam replacement.

Foundation problems: Inadequate foundation design for the current building loads. This is the most serious category — foundation strengthening is technically complex and expensive.

Unauthorised additions: Floors or extensions added without structural engineering review. RSC requires that these be assessed and either certified as safe or removed.

For security technology purposes, structural remediation often creates opportunities for concurrent system upgrades. When a factory is already disrupted for structural work, the incremental cost of installing fire alarm conduit, CCTV cabling, and access control infrastructure is lower than standalone installation.

Electrical Safety Standards

Electrical faults are the leading cause of factory fires in Bangladesh. RSC's electrical inspection protocol covers:

Wiring condition: All wiring must be in good condition — properly insulated, correctly rated for the loads it carries, and mechanically protected where appropriate. Exposed or damaged wiring is a major non-conformity requiring immediate remediation.

Switchgear and distribution boards: Circuit breakers must be correctly rated for the circuits they protect. Overloaded circuits — a common finding in factories that have added machinery without updating electrical infrastructure — must be correctly protected.

Earthing and bonding: All electrical equipment must be correctly earthed. Inadequate earthing creates shock hazard and can contribute to fire ignition. Earth resistance testing must be documented.

Temporary wiring: RSC specifically addresses the use of temporary wiring and extension leads — a very common practice in Bangladesh factories. Temporary wiring must be managed to prevent overloading and mechanical damage hazards.

The RSC Inspection Process

RSC inspections are conducted by independent safety inspectors engaged by the RSC. The inspection team typically includes a fire safety engineer, a structural engineer, and an electrical safety engineer.

Initial inspection: A comprehensive assessment against RSC inspection protocols, producing a factory-specific inspection report with finding codes and severity classifications. Findings are classified as Critical (immediate threat to worker life), Major (significant safety risk), or Minor (procedural or documentation gap).

Factory notification: Inspection reports are shared with the factory and with the RSC signatory brands ordering from that factory. Brands are expected to follow up with their suppliers on remediation progress.

Corrective Action Plan (CAP): For each finding, the factory must produce a Corrective Action Plan specifying the remediation action, responsible party, and target completion date. The CAP is reviewed and approved by RSC inspectors.

Follow-up inspections: RSC inspectors conduct follow-up visits to verify that CAP items have been completed. Critical findings require immediate action and early follow-up; Major findings are followed up within the CAP timeline; Minor findings are verified at the annual re-inspection.

Compliance status publication: Factory compliance status — including the number and severity of outstanding findings — is published on the RSC website. Brands can use this information to make sourcing decisions.

Timeline for Compliance

RSC does not set a single compliance deadline — instead, the CAP process establishes factory-specific remediation timelines based on the severity and complexity of identified findings. Critical findings require immediate action (typically within 30 days). Major findings typically require remediation within 6–12 months. Complex structural or sprinkler system installations may be given 18–24 months where the work requires significant engineering and construction time.

Factories that fail to progress on their CAP without justification face "suspended supplier" status — brands are notified that continued sourcing is not compliant with the RSC programme, effectively triggering order suspension.

For factory management, the practical implication is to start early. A factory that has deferred safety investment will face CAP timelines that compress multiple expensive projects into a short period. Proactive investment — upgrading fire detection, installing sprinklers, improving emergency lighting — ahead of inspection reduces both the severity of findings and the cost (by allowing projects to be sequenced efficiently rather than executed under deadline pressure).

SSAL's Role in Helping Factories Achieve Certification

SSAL has supported Bangladesh garment factories through RSC inspection and remediation processes. Our capability covers the fire safety technology elements of RSC compliance:

• Addressable fire alarm systems: Design, supply, installation, and commissioning to NFPA 72 standards, using Hochiki, Apollo, or Notifier certified equipment
• Emergency lighting systems: Design and installation to NFPA 101 requirements, using LED emergency luminaires with 90-minute battery backup
• Emergency PA/evacuation systems: IP PA systems for factory-wide evacuation announcements, integrated with fire alarm trigger
• CCTV at entry/exit points: IP camera systems covering factory gates, production area entries, and emergency exits
• Access control: Biometric systems for worker access tracking and attendance management

SSAL provides pre-inspection assessment against RSC fire safety protocol requirements, producing a gap analysis that helps factory management understand their compliance status before the official RSC inspection. We then manage the remediation project — designing the systems, handling procurement, managing installation, and providing the documentation package that RSC inspectors expect.

Get Free Consultation — Contact SSAL for a factory fire safety compliance assessment ahead of your RSC inspection. We will review your current fire safety systems against RSC inspection protocol requirements, identify gaps, and propose a remediation programme that achieves compliant status efficiently and cost-effectively.