Supplier Briefing #6
These briefings are designed for all factories and 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 and factories covered by the Pakistan Accord to read these briefings and to share suggestions on what they would like to see in them by contacting us via pakistan.factories@internationalaccord.org.
This briefing includes updates on:
- Coverage: Signatory brands, factories and workers
- Program Rollout: Inspections and Remediation, Workplace Programs
- Key Events: Government capacity building sessions, technical workshops for service providers
- Implementation: Hiring update, vacancies
Number of Signatory Brands, Covered Factories and Workers
At the time of writing this briefing, 133 global brands sourcing textiles and garments from Pakistan have signed the Pakistan Accord and committed to working with their suppliers to ensure workplace health and safety. Since the last Briefing, new brands including Levi Strauss & Co., GearCo (Unrivaled Teamwear) and Lomotex GmbH & Co. KG have become signatories.
The Pakistan Accord signatory brands are headquartered in 18 countries across Europe, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Turkey and Japan, and include some of the world’s largest clothing brands and retailers. Collectively, these brands source approximately US$3.5 billion worth of goods from over 530 suppliers in Pakistan employing over 567,000 workers.
View the latest list of Pakistan Accord signatories.
View the list of factories participating in the Pakistan Accord programs.
Program Rollout
Inspections and Remediation
Over 200 factories across Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad have been inspected for fire, electrical, and structural safety. All inspections follow the Pakistan Accord Building Standard to identify risks and improve safety in Pakistan’s textile and garment industry. Inspections will include the identification of risks linked to hazardous materials at a later stage.
Start of Boiler Safety Inspections
The Pakistan Accord boiler safety team is now fully trained and has conducted seven visual inspections. All factories inspected for boiler safety receive a form to provide details on the quantity and types of boilers at their facilities, ensuring a comprehensive approach to these inspections.
In November 2024, the safety compliance consultancy TUV SUD conducted a week-long training program in Sri Lanka for the Pakistan Accord boiler safety team. As a follow-up, these engineers visited the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) boiler safety team in Bangladesh for a knowledge exchange session and participated in factory inspections for hands-on training.
Boiler safety engineers from the Pakistan Accord team and the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) participating in a training session in Sri Lanka.
Inspection Reports and CAPs
The International Accord Secretariat published the first set of Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) and initial inspection reports on fire, electrical, and structural safety for 30 factories under the Pakistan Accord on Friday, 21 February 2025.
These reports reflect the safety findings and progress at the inspected factories and are published in accordance with the transparency commitments under the Accord (Section IV, Article 29b of the International Accord, and Section IX, Article 23b of the Pakistan Accord).
The Accord is currently developing a factory search tool to showcase the progress at covered factories in Pakistan. In the meantime, the reports are temporarily available here.
Common Safety Findings and Remediation
To date, safety inspections have so far identified over 5,500 safety risks, including approximately 2400 findings on electrical safety, 2200 on fire safety, and 900 on structural safety. Below is an overview of the main findings under each safety inspection scope, along with remediation actions factories are taking to improve safety at their facilities.
Critical Findings
In cases where Accord engineers identified urgent safety concerns, factories, in collaboration with sourcing brands, have taken immediate remedial actions. These measures include:
- Load Reduction: In areas with overstressed columns, factories have reduced structural loads to maintain the building’s integrity.
- Electrical Panel Shutdown: Unsafe electrical panels have been deactivated to mitigate the risk of short circuits caused by electrical hotspots and tangled wiring.
The Accord appreciates the cooperation of responsible brands and concerned factories in preventing harm and ensuring workplace safety at their facilities.
Left – Before: Tangled wires, dust in electrical panel; Right – After: Organised wires and clean electrical panel to mitigate short circuit risks
Electrical Safety
Common findings
Pakistan Accord engineers identified electrical safety as the top risk in inspected factories, with over 2,400 risks. About 1,021 involve distribution boards and protection systems, commonly affected by hot spots from overloading, incorrect cable sizing, and poor installation—issues often missed due to a lack of thermographic testing. Many factories also have incomplete or missing electrical Single Line Diagrams (SLDs).
Remediation
Factories are training electrical staff, implementing thermographic testing for early fault detection, updating SLDs for better troubleshooting, and minimising combustible materials near electrical panels to reduce fire risks.
Left – Before: Combustible material near electrical panel; Right – After: Combustible material removed
Fire Safety
Common findings
Among 2,200 fire safety risks in inspected factories, 986 involve unsafe escape routes. Non-compliance includes locked doors or doors opening against escape routes, hindering evacuation. Many factories also lack handrails on exit routes, increasing risk during emergencies.
Remediation
According to the Pakistan Accord Building Standard, compliant escape doors should be free of locking devices, and swing open in the direction of an escape route. In addition, factories are installing handrails to ensure safe egress and help workers safely exit in case of fire safety accidents.
Left – Before: No handrails; Right – After: Handrails installed
Structural Safety
Common findings
Among 900 structural safety risks, overstressed columns are a major concern, with 188 reported cases. Excessive loads, such as water tanks and floor build-ups, often exceed design capacity, increasing the risk of collapse. Additionally, many factories have cracks in their buildings, further compromising workplace safety.
Remediation
The Pakistan Accord Building Standard and Accord engineers recommend reviewing designs, assessing loads, and reducing excessive stress on columns in high-risk areas to ensure safety. Factories are repairing building cracks to maintain structural strength and prevent them from worsening, ensuring long-term safety.
Left – Before: Cracks in walls; Right – After: Fixed walls
Workplace Programs
The Pakistan Accord has made significant progress in its Workplace Programs across factories.
- In November, the Pakistan Accord conducted its first All Employee Meeting at a home textile factory in Karachi.
- As of the end of February, initial meetings have been conducted at 129 factories, while All-Employee Meetings have been organised at 21 factories, totalling 73 sessions and reaching over 18,500 workers.
- The Safety Committee Training has been piloted at one factory, and the contact details to file complaints under the Pakistan Accord Complaints Mechanism have been distributed to 121 factories.
Looking ahead, the Workplace Programs are set to expand further, with additional initial and All-Employee Meetings scheduled from February through April. Concurrently, the key messages will be communicated online via animations.
Recruitment efforts in Karachi and Lahore are underway to strengthen the Workplace Program team, which currently comprises four trainers—two based in Karachi and two in Lahore—and a dedicated complaints team consisting of two specialists and one Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) manager.
The Workplace Programs are set to expand further, with additional initial and All-Employee Meetings scheduled in the coming months.
Events
Technical Workshops for Service Providers - December 2024
In December 2024, the Pakistan Accord Secretariat hosted two technical workshops for consultants in Lahore (December 12) and Karachi (December 16). Focused on the first 30 factories with technically approved CAPs that have commenced remediation, these sessions aimed to clarify the design documentation and certification requirements for fire, structural, and electrical safety.
The workshops featured insights from Country Director Zulfiqar Shah and Chief Safety Officer George Faller, and included in-depth presentations on Fire Alarm & Detection Systems, Fire Suppression Systems, and Structural Detailed Engineering Assessments. These sessions provided detailed explanations of design review processes, required documentation, and core testing methods, and concluded with interactive Q&A rounds. Participants expressed their appreciation for the technical support and interest in continuing these initiatives in the future.
The Pakistan Accord Secretariat hosted two technical workshops for consultants in Lahore and Karachi.
Government Capacity Building Workshops - February 2025
The Pakistan Accord recently conducted capacity-building workshops for government officials in Sindh and Punjab. Held in Karachi from February 3–7, 2025, and in Lahore from February 10–14, 2025, the five-day events brought together over 70 participants from multiple government departments. Expert-led sessions by Arup covered key topics such as building, fire, and electrical safety, along with practical factory visits that provided hands-on insights into regulatory processes and international standards.
Officials including Dr. Abid Shaikh, Athar Ali Shah, Dr. Rizwan Naseer, and Syeda Kulsoom Hayee, inaugurated and closed the sessions, underscoring the initiative’s importance in fostering a stronger safety culture across Pakistan’s workplaces.
The capacity-building workshops for government officials covered key topics under building, fire, and electrical safety.
Implementation
The Pakistan Accord is actively building and training local teams in its Karachi and Lahore offices to ensure effective program implementation in close coordination with covered suppliers and brands. The organisation is also expanding both its Inspections & Remediation Department and Workplace Program Team. Furthermore, recruitment efforts are underway to hire fire, structural, and boiler safety experts, as well as training and complaints specialists, along with additional support staff.
Resources
Stay in Touch
Related updates
The Pakistan Accord team recently organised a series of capacity building workshops for government officials in the Sindh and Punjab provinces.
Factories in Pakistan have begun addressing key safety findings and are implementing improvements at their facilities.
On 26 and 27 November 2024 the Pakistan Accord conducted its inaugural safety training meeting in Pakistan. The meeting was attended by all employees of the factory.
The Pakistan Accord team recently organised a series of capacity building workshops for government officials in the Sindh and Punjab provinces.
On 26 and 27 November 2024 the Pakistan Accord conducted its inaugural safety training meeting in Pakistan. The meeting was attended by all employees of the factory.
The Pakistan Accord Secretariat hosted a briefing on the rollout of Workplace Programs on August 19, 2024, in Karachi.
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