The National Safety Council is greatly saddened by the
unnecessary loss of life in the recent factory fire in Bangladesh. At the end
of November, more than 100 people died and many more were injured at the
Tazreen Fashions garment factory outside Dhaka, in one of the worst industrial
catastrophes in that country.
This tragedy is an important reminder of the extreme value
of workplace safety. At NSC we encourage all companies to follow the Journey to
Safety Excellence – a cycle of improvement that aims for a continuous reduction
of risk and has as its goal zero injuries. We’ve learned from the best of the
best -- such as our Robert W. Campbell Award winners and Campbell
Institute Charter Members -- that leading organizations carry the same safety
standards throughout their entire business chain.
“Leading edge companies in EHS, without
question, include contractors in their safety programs and track those
companies’ metrics as well,” said Jim Johnson, vice president of workplace safety initiatives at the National Safety Council. "Many of them are also working to address the supply
chain.” Johnson said, “Injuries and fatalities should never be considered a
cost of doing business.”