'Employee Care in Practice'

It was the third day of the clerkship program we visited the Kash Garments Pvt Ltd in Boralesgamuwa.

For many years, textile industry brought our country a lot of money. In fact apparel industry has grown to be one of the largest contributors to the export revenue.

The beautiful garment coming in handy at the end of the day, is the effort, courage, creativity, skill and also the bread and butter of a group of youngsters working there. To provide safety, giving a reasonable monetary value for their work, maintaining health during the stay is the responsibility of the authority.

So here we went, took a look, whether they succeed or fail in fulfilling the above.

Facing the entrance is the 'sick room'. The wall hanging shows a list of materials supposed to be there. A well ventilated room, with a clean bed, and the first aid box could be seen.When we questioned they said a company van is ready at anytime if a need arises, in case of emergency. This fulfilled the PHI criteria in assessing how to handle the ill workers.

 

There are 40 washrooms for the 500 employees working there. Clean and well maintained.

Cutting section is facing the major hazard of dust collection in the area. All windows were not opened, so yes everything is concentrated around. One easy way of avoiding the consequences of this is to use face masks. But please take a look at the photo. Either the authority has failed in instructing them or the workers has no concern about their health, ultimate result would be this country being burdened up with occupational diseases of the respiratory tract in the labor force contributors.

 

Switch is 'on' and the free end is hanging free.

The main power source of the factory is, as usual, electricity. Cutting, ironing, sewing is done by rows of seated workers. The instruments used at hand level are connected to plug points attached to beams running over head. In case of detached wires, precautions are mandatory not to minimize but to make accidents zero. People are busy mainly focused on maximum production rate, not safety, they are easily contactable with the hanging live wires.

 

Fire exit plan of the factory is quite impressive. There's a series of posters saying where to assemble, which route to take etc. Fire extinguishers are easily accessible, with simplified instructions on how to use them.

Finally, we took few minutes of a lady busy stitching to ask about their routines. Work starts at 8, goes till 5. Even though its possible to take breaks in between, she works at a stretch to do maximum per day, and sometimes, when there are orders to finish, they work late, some days till 11. Well that's something to think of..

On the way I thought, did the proprietor want to mean 'Cash' in a more pronounced manner, when he named it 'Kash'.

If you read my writing till the end, well thank you, hope my first blog ever is not too bad :)

 

PS: Shouldn't Sri Lanka consider implementing occupational health and safety standards (such as OHSAS 18001) compulsary?

http://www.lennoxhill.co.uk/what-is-ohsas-18001.html

 

Name of student: Sachintha Satharasinghe

Date of Visit:        15.8.2012

Post number:       1