The Accord, a platform of Western retailers, has found defects in all the 35 boilers it inspected during a pilot programme covering the readymade garment sector.
The Accord signatories launched the pilot programme on boiler safety inspection in September last and some 35 boilers in 17 Accord-listed factories were inspected in three phases, according to the findings revealed last week.
A complete boiler safety inspection included an internal inspection of the boiler, a hydrostatic pressure test, and an external inspection and assessment of the functionality of the boiler, the Accord said.
During the pilot programme, 19 of the 35 inspected boilers could not undergo all stages of inspection, because the boiler equipment at the factories was inadequate or defective, it revealed.
"These 19 boilers, representing 54 per cent of those inspected, require remediation work and re-inspection and testing. Defects were detected in all 35 inspected boilers and all required remedial work," according to the findings.
The boiler safety inspection found calcium build-up, which reduces the capacity of the boiler; boiler components/parts missing such as no or inadequate pressure valves; no or inadequate pressure monitoring systems, faulty electrical wiring and incomplete or non-existent technical data sheets.
The calcium build-up can corrode the boiler wall, reduce efficiency, and lead to leakage and spray of boiling water, said the Accord.
The boilers selected for inspection are a representative sample of the different sizes, fuel supply, types and capacities of boilers used in RMG factories in Bangladesh, it added.
The findings also revealed that five boilers did not have the required Bangladesh Chief Inspector of Boilers (CIoB) certification and they had been produced by an uncertified manufacturer.
"Boilers that have not been produced, installed and maintained to international and Bangladesh CIoB boiler standards constitute a potential life and property threat hazard," said the Accord.
Four factories were required immediate boiler shut-down due to critical safety findings and the Accord informed the factory management, responsible company signatories and CloB of the findings.
The boilers should only be re-commissioned/returned to operation after the critical safety issues have been fixed, the Accord suggested.
All factories where critical boiler safety hazards were found complied with the engineers' conclusions and the boilers have been repaired and verified as such within a few days of the notification of critical findings, it said.
The Accord also mentioned that it received a good level of cooperation from the 17 supplier factories which had boilers inspected in this pilot programme.
When asked, Accord Executive Director Rob Wayss told the FE via e-mail: "Boiler safety is a concern for the Accord and its signatories given the number of boilers in RMG factories and given concerns related to boiler related accidents, including the boiler explosion at Multifabs in July 2017."
The Accord has been working closely with the Chief Inspector of Boilers, the ILO, and the tripartite partners in Bangladesh to address boiler safety issues as part of the National Plan of Action, he added.
The Accord and its signatories will continue to support these coordinated efforts and to advance boiler safety at Accord-covered factories, Mr Wayss added.
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