Industrial units in metropolis plagued with fire hazards
Labour laws exist but await implementation, most factories without basic safety protocols
KARACHI:
Most factories in Karachi and across Sindh lack basic safety equipment and protocols. In many set-ups, there are no trained personnel to deal with emergency situations. Over the years this has resulted in several lethal accidents in industrial plants.
More often than not, it is an insufficient number of emergency exits and construction of industrial buildings contrary to the approved layout that worsens the impact of such incidents. Factory owners, the provincial labour department, the Sindh Building Control Authority and the federal Civil Defence Directorate have important responsibilities regarding factory workers’ safety in industrial units, which are not being fulfilled.