Blast at N’ganj steel Mill: It ran without valid papers, safety measures

The steel mill factory in Narayanganj, where an explosion killed four workers and injured three others on Thursday, had been melting iron for the last six months without approval from the authorities, said officials.

Rahima Industrial Complex Steel Mill went into production without clearance certificates from the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) and the Department of Environment (DoE), said officials of those departments.

Besides, a fire service official said there were no fire extinguishers at the factory. He also alleged that workers were not provided with proper safety gear.

An explosion inside the furnace of the factory spilled molten iron on seven workers on Thursday, killing three of them -- Shanker, 40, Elias Ali alias Yeasin, 35, and Niyon, 20.

Another injured worker Md Alamgir, 33, died at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka yesterday.

He had 90 percent burns, said Inspector Bachchu Miah, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost.

The condition of three other injured is critical, said hospital sources.

The factory did not get any clearance certificate from DIFE as it lacked safety measures, Mehedi Hasan, an inspector of the department who visited the factory after the explosion, told The Daily Star yesterday.

DIFE officials said the factory applied for a clearance certificate last year but failed as two inspectors, during their visit, found there was no adequate safety system at the factory.

DIFE officials visited the factory in March this year and asked the authorities concerned to become compliant to safety regulations because the machine layout, the working environment, and workers' safety arrangements were not up to the required standards, DIFE officials said.

"We must be informed at least 15 days before any factory goes into production. But the factory authorities did not do that," said Mehedi.

Asked why DIFE didn't take immediate action to shut the factory after finding it was running without approval, Rajib Chandra Das, deputy inspector general of DIFE in Narayanganj, said they were scheduled to visit the factory again after three months.

"We will file a case if we don't find the factory to be safety compliant," he added.

Workers and locals alleged that various authorities refrained from taking action because of underhand dealings with factory officials.

About the allegations, Rajib said they would take action if they receive any official complaint against anyone.

Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy director of DoE in Narayanganj, also said the factory did not obtain the final clearance for going into production.

"Although the mill authorities had clearance for construction of the factory, there was no final clearance for production. An Environmental Impact Assessment must be submitted for production," he said, adding that the factory did not submit the EIA.

"Since they started production without clearance, our enforcement branch will take action. In this case, in addition to fines, their licence can also be revoked," he added.

Shafiqul Islam, a supervisor of the factory, however, yesterday claimed that they ensured safety for workers while in production.

Shaheed Alam, sub-station officer of Araihazar Fire Station, said the factory authorities did not inform them about the explosion.

"Being informed by others, we visited the site and found no fire extinguisher there. We also received allegations that the workers were not provided with safety gear."

Preferring anonymity, a worker of the factory said, "Do the factory owners have the time to think so much about worker safety?

"If they provide a safety jacket one day, they do not do it on another day. A majority of us work without a [safety] jacket," he said.

"Would the workers have been so severely burnt if they were provided with safety jackets?" he asked.

No case has yet been filed in connection with the explosion and deaths.