OSH Bangladesh 2020

OSH Bangladesh expo brings together internationally renowned exhibitors, consultants, business experts and key government officials on an industry platform. The show facilitates exchanges of global best practices and seeks solutions for challenges in upholding workplace safety and health, in addition to giving an opportunity to safety and health suppliers and service providers from across the world to showcase their innovations and knowledge amidst an industry landscape of a vastly untapped India market, featured a two-day power packed conference that shared and ideated on global practice.

Even though a large section of Bangladesh’s population is employed in manual handling tasks, these workers do not have access to adequate protection. It is estimated that over 11,000 workers suffer fatal accidents and a further 24,500 die from work related diseases across all sectors each year in Bangladesh. It is also estimated that a further 8 million workers suffer injuries at work – many of which result in permanent disability. Conditions at boulder handling sites, saw mills, rice packaging plants and construction sites show the need for comprehensive reforms in occupational safety and health legislation and practice in Bangladesh.

New policies on training, industrial hygiene, safety equipment, and risk assessment are necessary to protect workers in a rapidly developing economy. Although little research has taken place in Bangladesh, it is internationally recognized that most occupational deaths and injuries are entirely preventable, and could be avoided if employers and workers took simple initiatives to reduce hazards and risks at the workplace.