Deaths and injuries in the global garment industry

After the Rana Plaza building collapse killed 1,138 workers in April 2013, more than 200 apparel brands and retailers joined together in the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. By ensuring critical renovations and repairs across 1,600 factories employing 2.5 million workers, the Accord has saved countless lives.

Unions and apparel brands have, after long negotiations and public pressure, finalized a successor agreement to the Bangladesh Accord: the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry, which went into effect on 1 September 2021. This binding agreement, signed by over 190 brands, includes a commitment to expand the safety programme beyond Bangladesh. In December 2022, the first expansion, to Pakistan was announced. . 

Many of the deaths and injuries documented in this timeline could have been prevented. It is paramount that the Accord signatories swiftly and unreservedly take on the process of expanding the Accord beyond Bangladesh and Pakistan and to agree an International Accord extension beyond 2023.

 


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Methodology: Unless otherwise noted, information on the safety incidents is from news reports. Brands were identified primarily through import records and brand disclosure. Because some apparel brands and most textile companies refuse to reveal their supplier factories, some of the factories where we were not able to identify buyers may also be supplying international brands and retailers. We welcome you to submit suggested additions to this timeline, or corrections, to info@cleanclothes.org; please provide information sources when doing so.


Recommended resources:

  • Text of the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry agreement
  • Text of the Pakistan Accord on Health & Safety in the Textile & Garment Industry
  • Signatories to the International Accord and the Pakistan Accord
  • Overview of brands that have not yet signed the Accord
  • Clean Clothes Campaign, International Labor Rights Forum, Labour Education Foundation, National Trade Union Federation, and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, Pakistan's Garment Workers Need a Safety Accord (September 2019).