Supplier Briefing #2
These Supplier Briefings are designed for all factories/suppliers listed by Pakistan Accord signatory brands. They include updates on key developments under the Pakistan Accord, along with information on upcoming events, guidance materials, and resources for suppliers.
We encourage all suppliers/factories covered by the Pakistan Accord to read these briefings regularly and to share their recommendations, ideas, and suggestions by contacting us via pakistan.factories@internationalaccord.org.
This briefing includes updates on:
- Number of Signatory Brands, Covered Factories
- Findings from the Accord Pilot in Pakistan
- Upcoming resources and events
Number of Signatory Brands and Covered Factories
At the time of writing this briefing, over 65 brands sourcing clothing and textiles from Pakistan have signed the Pakistan Accord, thereby committing to work with their suppliers to ensure workplace safety.
The Pakistan Accord company signatories are headquartered in 17 countries, spanning Europe, Turkey, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan, and include some of the world’s largest clothing brands and retailers. Collectively, these companies source over US$2.5 billion worth of goods from more than 400 suppliers in Pakistan.
Signatory companies have recently disclosed their factory lists to the Accord, including data that will inform the selection of priority factories for initial inspections according to safety risks and leverage criteria.
Findings from Accord Pilot
The International Accord pilot safety assessments were initiated in September 2022 with the goal of understanding the key considerations for establishing an effective safety inspection and remediation program with garment and textile suppliers in Pakistan. The pilot included safety assessments at seven garment and textile factories in Karachi and Lahore, along with follow-up discussions on remediation feasibility with the participating factories.
A report summarising findings from these pilot safety assessments is now available here. The key areas of improvement for ensuring worker health and safety highlighted within the pilot report include:
- Structural design checks and preparation of accurate building drawings.
- Fire-separated construction and protected exit routes to allow safe egress in case of fire.
- Proper installation and testing of fire alarm and fire suppression systems to ensure full functioning in case of emergency.
- Electrical system design and installation conforming with code requirements, as well as maintenance and cleaning regimes to prevent electrical hazards.
- Maintenance and repair of boilers and associated systems to avoid the risk of serious accidents.
Pakistan Accord Building Standard
In recent months, the International Accord has worked with the former Chief Safety Inspector of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, Brad Loewen, to review Pakistani building codes and develop a draft factory safety standard for the Pakistan Accord, covering electrical, fire, structural, and boiler safety.
In May 2023, the International Accord team met with engineering and building code experts in Pakistan for consultation on key details in the Standard. These experts will review the latest draft of the Pakistan Accord Building Standard (Standard) in the coming weeks.
The Accord intends to finalise and publish the Standard by the end of August 2023. Factories covered under the Pakistan Accord will subsequently be inspected against this finalised Standard.
Upcoming: New Information Pack for Suppliers
Following requests from industry representatives in recent meetings, the Accord has developed an Information Pack for Suppliers to share all relevant information about the Pakistan Accord in one place. This information pack will be circulated in the coming weeks and includes:
- A summary detailing the objectives, scope, and programs under the Pakistan Accord.
- Inforgraphic on a factory’s journey through Accord programs.
- Benefits of participating in Accord programs.
- A summary of the Implementation Plan.
- Supplier FAQs with answers to the commonly asked questions from suppliers.
Upcoming Events
Launch of the Pakistan Accord Building Standard
Resources
Stay in Touch
Related updates
Ten years after the first Accord was signed, the Accord Secretariat reflects on the progress in worker safety in the past decade and our vision for the future.
A total of 54 brands and retailers have thus far signed the Pakistan Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, with more expected to follow in the coming weeks.
The Accord commemorates 10 years since the Rana Plaza collapse by remembering those who perished, those who were injured, and those who continue living with the impacts of one of the worst workplace disasters in modern history.
The pilot safety assessments were initiated in September 2022 to inform the Accord's ongoing feasibility studies and establish an effective safety inspection and remediation program in Pakistan.
The Global Fashion Summit organised by the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), was held from 27-28 June at the Copenhagen Concert Hall in Denmark.
A delegation of the International Accord Secretariat and Accord signatory brands had a fruitful visit to Pakistan from 23 May to 3 June 2023.
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