Safety Committee and Safety Training Programme

One of the major elements of a good safety programme is safety training. In order to ensure a safe workplace, the RSC actively trains joint labour-management Safety Committees at the covered factories. Safety Committees should

  • Conduct factory inspections to identify safety hazards
  • Respond to workers’ safety and health complaints
  • Actively communicate about safety and health issues to workers
  • Review company accident reports to learn how such accidents can be prevented
  • Aim to meet regularly, at least once every three months

Highlights of the Safety Committee and Safety Training Programme

Initial Meeting:

The purpose of the initial meeting is to introduce the training modality and present the course outline to participants. The discussion also emphasizes the RSC’s activities, strategies for effective programme implementation through collaboration with factory management, the role of trade unions (if present), and the involvement of other key stakeholders. This collaborative approach ensures all questions are addressed comprehensively, fosters mutual understanding, and eliminates potential misunderstandings, thereby facilitating the successful implementation of the training programme.

All Employee Meeting

All-Employee Meetings follow a town hall format, where all workers in the factory are divided into groups based on the factory’s seating capacity. During these sessions, safety messages and information are communicated to workers in accordance with a predefined session plan. The primary objectives of these sessions are:

  • Raising awareness about health and safety hazards.
  • Providing guidance on safe evacuation procedures during fires or other emergencies.
  • Educating workers about their health and safety rights and responsibilities in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector.

Through this awareness training programme, we have successfully reached approximately 2.5 million workers—a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to workplace safety and employee well-being.

Safety Committee (SC) Meeting

Following the successful completion of a factory’s safety training cycle, an RSC OSH Training Programme Specialist attends periodic Safety Committee (SC) meetings at the concerned factory. These follow-up meetings aim to assess the skills of committee members and monitor the progress of their safety-related activities. Additionally, each SC meeting concludes with a safety walkthrough and survey conducted by SC members under the guidance of the RSC’s OSH Training Programme Specialist.

Safety Committee Walkthrough (SCWT)

The Safety Committee Walkthrough (SCWT) is a form of workplace safety inspection conducted by Safety Committee members immediately after their regular SC meeting. The primary objective is to identify and mitigate potential workplace hazards, thereby ensuring a safe and healthy working environment.


During the Walkthrough, a group of SC members systematically inspect the entire factory premises using a pre-prepared checklist. If they identify any potential safety and health hazards, they document them with photographs for reference and reporting purposes. The RSC’s OSH Training Programme Specialist led the Walkthrough and provided overall guidance to the SC members throughout this critical process.

Walk-Through Reporting

Based on the findings of the walkthrough, the OSH Training Programme Specialist prepares a detailed report outlining the identified hazards and recommending corrective measures. This report is then shared with the relevant factory management. Once the hazards are addressed as per the Corrective Action Plan (CAP), the factory management submits a report back to the OSH Training Programme Specialist for final verification and closure.

Safety Committee and Safety Training Programme Modality

Training Modules

Training Module 1: “Fundamentals of the Safety Committee” includes the following:

 

  • Key Principles of Safety & Health at Work.
  • Key Elements of a Good Safety & Health Programme.
  • How to form a Good Safety Committee.
  • How will the safety committee do its work?

All Employee Meeting 1: “Occupational Health and Safety Hazards in the Readymade Garment Industry and Safe Evacuation in Case of Emergency” includes the following:

 

  • Occupational Health and Safety hazards in RMG industry.
  • Safe evacuation procedures in the event of a fire.
  • Response to the earthquake disaster.
  • The roles of the safety committee in identifying, evaluating, and resolving health and safety hazards in the workplace.
  • RSC’s cooperation in resolving Occupational Health and Safety hazards.

Training Module 2: “Safety Committee Role in RSC Remediation” includes the following:

 

  • Overview of RSC Inspection Procedure.
  • Review of RSC Inspection Reports.
  • Review of Corrective Action Plan (CAP);
  • Role of the Safety Committee in Remediation Work.

Training Module 3: “Safety Committee and Safety Complaints” includes the following:

 

  • Safety Committee Procedures for Safety and Health Complaints.
  • RSC Procedures for Complaints.
  • Rights to Refuse Unsafe Work, and Reprisals.

All Employee Meeting-2: “Worker’s Rights and Responsibilities in the RMG Factory” includes the following:

 

  • The right to participate in the work procedure of Safety.
  • The right to refuse unsafe and risky work.
  • The right to file a complaint noticing an occupational health and safety problem at the workplace.
  • The right to protect against reprisal for reporting a safety-related matter to RSC.
  • The right to freedom of association.

Training Module 4: “Workplace Hazard Identification & Control” includes the following:

 

  • Overview of Workplace Hazards.
  • Overview of Hazard Identification and Control.
  • Improving Hazard Control in the Factory.

 

Training Module 5: “Communication Skills and Joint Problem Solving” includes the following:

 

  • The complications and obstacles to communication.
  • The importance of active listening.
  • Difference between traditional vs. joint approach to problem-solving
  • The six steps of the Joint Problem-Solving process/techniques.
  • Several techniques in the Joint Problem-Solving process.
  • Develop a labor-management relationship based on collaboration instead of conflict.

Training Module 6: “Safety Monitoring Systems” – Part One includes the following:

 

  • Safety Monitoring Systems What and Why?
  • Fire Safety Monitoring.
  • Electrical Safety Monitoring.
  • Emergency Evacuation Procedures.

Training Module 7: “Safety Monitoring Systems” – Part One includes the following:

 

  • Safety Monitoring Systems-Review
  • Machine Safety Monitoring.
  • PPE Usage Monitoring.
  • Workplace Inspections.
  • Evaluation of the Monitoring systems in the factory.
  • Safety Committee’s role in maintaining and improving these systems.

Training Module 8: “Occupational Health Hazards in RMG Factories” includes the following:

 

  • Overview of Common Health Hazards.
  • Freedom of Association.
  • Workers’ Rights in the areas of health and safety at work.
  • Management’s Role in Preventing Health Hazard.

Letter of Acknowledgement (LoA)

 

As a recognition of successful completion of the training cycle, a Letter of Acknowledgement (LoA) is issued to the factory and SC members on behalf of the RSC OSH Training Programme Department.

Scroll to Top