Show-cause notice issued to GPH Ispat over workers’ death

The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Sunday issued a show-cause notice to the GPH Ispat Ltd authorities to explain the safety measures at the factory after a worker died on 27 January.

GPH Ispat has been asked to respond to the notice within 15 days.

Chattogram DIFE Deputy Inspector General Abdullah Al Sakib Mubarrat told The Business Standard that GPH was asked to inform whether workers' safety was ensured as per the guidelines of the labour law. 

GPH Ispat sources said that in the show-cause notice, DIFE wanted to know why adequate safety measures were not taken at the GPH factory. They also wanted to know if the deceased worker had any experience certificate or training and what type of tools he used on the day of the accident.   

Earlier on 27 January, Ranjit Das, a worker of GPH Ispat, died in an explosion at the GPH factory. He was employed as a cutter since 6 January at the factory at a daily wage of Tk600.  

In the GPH factory, as many as eight workers died in six years in 13 accidents while 33 workers and officers were injured. 

DIFE served several notices to the GPH authorities on various occasions when workers died in accidents. 

In those notices served between 10 April 2019 till 15 November 2020, DIFE mentioned that GPH Ispat has violated 17 articles of the Bangladesh Labour Law 2006. 

Of them, the most significant ones are—appointment of contractors without a license, no appointment letters or photo ID cards served to the workers, no service book for the workers, no preservation of workers' registrar, lack of adequate safety for the workers, operation of the lift, scale, excavator and cranes in the factory by unskilled workers, no regular annual check-up of the crane machines, no safety dress for the workers working close to the furnace etc.