Rana Plaza and Factory Safety

How the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse killed over 1,100 workers, and how the Accord on Fire and Building Safety changed inspections in Bangladesh's garment industry.

On 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza building near Dhaka collapsed.

The disaster

The building housed several garment factories.
Cracks had appeared the day before, but workers were ordered back in.
Over 1,100 people died and thousands were injured, one of the worst industrial disasters ever.

Causes

Illegal extra floors.
Heavy machinery on floors not built for it.
Weak inspections and corruption.

The Accord

Over 200 brands signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh in 2013, a legally binding agreement with unions.
Independent inspections of thousands of factories found and fixed many hazards.
It evolved into the International Accord in 2021.

Results

Factory safety improved significantly, with far fewer deadly incidents.

Economic lesson

Global brands can use their buying power to improve standards in supply chains, but enforcement requires binding commitments.

The fixed fire exit

After an Accord inspection, a factory adds fire doors and removes locked exits, protecting thousands of workers.

Thinking brands have no responsibility for supplier factories

Rana Plaza pushed brands to sign binding safety agreements.

Key takeaways

Rana Plaza collapsed in April 2013, killing over 1,100 workers.
Illegal floors and weak inspections caused it.
The Accord brought independent inspections.
Factory safety improved significantly.