Working with brands, factories, and workers for a safer textile and garment industry

The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry promotes workplace safety through independent safety inspections, training programs, and a complaints mechanism for workers.

A safe and sustainable garment industry

Our mission

The International Accord is a legally binding agreement between 190 garment brands and global trade unions with a mission to ensure safe workplaces in the textile and garment industry.

The agreement promotes worker safety through independent inspections, remediation, and training programs and recognises the rights of workers to organise, refuse unsafe work and raise health and safety concerns.

“Signatories to the Agreement recognise that safe workplaces cannot be assured in the long term without the active participation of the people who work in them.” – Preamble, The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile Sector (September 2021)

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Brands, factories, and workers, each play a role in driving workplace safety

Brands

Support and incentivize suppliers to meet health and safety standards.

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Factories

Implement and maintain fire, electrical, structural and boiler safety standards.

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Workers

Participate in programs with their representatives to ensure their own safety.

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How we do it

Conducting factory inspections

All covered suppliers are inspected by specialised and independent engineering staff to identify fire, electrical, structural and boiler safety hazards.

Factory inspections →
Monitoring remediation

After initial inspections, factories develop Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) with the support of brands. Based on the identified safety issues, the remediation progress for each factory is regularly monitored and published online.

Remediation progress →
Training Safety Committees

The Safety Committee and Safety Training Program promotes a culture of workplace safety by training joint labour-management Safety Committees and organising all-employee meetings to raise worker awareness.

Safety Committee and Safety Training Program →
Addressing worker grievances

Workers and their representatives can exercise their right to raise safety concerns or refuse unsafe work through an independent complaints mechanism. This mechanism provides a trusted avenue for workers to register their concerns in a timely, secure, and if they prefer, anonymous manner.

Complaints Mechanism →
Promoting transparency and accountability

Provisions such as full factory disclosure, public reports, an escalation procedure, signatories’ commitment to ensuring remediation is financially feasible and a complaints mechanism for workers ensure that signatories and factories remain transparent and accountable while advancing workplace safety.

Transparency and accountability→

We're making good progress together

> 56,000

inspections at Accord covered factories

>12,000

Safety Committee members trained

>450

factories completed initial remediation

>2 million

million workers informed about workplace safety

>1000

complaints resolved

Views from our stakeholders

Views from our stakeholders

Join over 195 clothing brands committed to safer workplaces

Learn more about the Accord

2021 International Accord

Explore the 2021 International Accord to know more about the principles, procedures, and policies that form the legal basis of Accord implementation.


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How the Accord works

Discover the main features and goals of our health and safety programs including factory inspection and remediation, safety training, and safety complaints mechanism.


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2023 Pakistan Accord

Explore the legal basis for the Pakistan programs aimed at ensuring worker health and safety in the garment and textile supply chains of Accord company signatories sourcing in Pakistan.


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Join the conversation on a safer clothing industry