Accord has found safety faults in many readymade garment factory boilers in Bangladesh. The platform of European brands and buyers inspected 35 boilers of 17 Accord-covered readymade garment factories and found faults in all the boilers. The boiler equipment at the factories was inadequate or defective. Four factories required immediate boiler shutdown due to critical safety findings.

The inspection identified calcium build-up, which reduces the capacity of the boiler and it can corrode the boiler wall, reduce efficiency, and lead to leakage and spray of boiling water. The inspection also found boiler components/parts missing such as no or inadequate pressure valves, no or inadequate pressure monitoring systems, faulty electrical wiring and incomplete or non-existent technical data sheets. Five boilers did not have the required certification of the Bangladesh Chief Inspector of Boilers and they had been produced by an uncertified manufacturer. Boilers that have not been produced, installed and maintained following international and Bangladesh boiler standards constitute a potential life and property threat hazard.

A group of five Accord engineers were trained by international boiler inspectors from Germany for the inspections. The boilers selected for inspection were a representative sample of different sizes, fuel supply, types and capacities of boilers used in garment factories in Bangladesh.