What
We
Do
Nirapon is a group of more than 55 members (and growing) working to promote a culture of safety in its 330 plus factories through a guided and supported, self-regulating model of safety monitoring.
Nirapon’s success lies in its member-led structure: Nirapon members act in an influencing capacity, supporting a culture of safety in the factories rather than as a third-party enforcement agency implementing safety requirements. Nirapon’s goal is for factories to achieve a safe workplace and own the risk so they can learn to effectively control hazards and risk. We accomplish this through our Safety Management Program...
How We're Different
NIRAPON IS A MEMBER-LED ORGANIZATION. OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SAFETY EMPHASIZES ACCIDENT PREVENTION, PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP. WE BELIEVE THAT EDUCATING WORKERS, MANAGERS AND OWNERS TO UNDERSTAND THE WHY OF SAFETY REGULATION IS LIKELY TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN AN ENFORCEMENT FOCUSED STRATEGY.
SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
On behalf of its members, Nirapon works to facilitate workplace safety in Bangladesh through factory participation in a Safety Management Program – a comprehensive suite of end-to-end safety support services.
Nirapon’s management team serves as a point of contact for its members and supports the factories in their implementation of the Safety Management Program. Nirapon receives engineering, safety and training updates from their safety management program service providers and reports the updates to the members along with the assessment and factory status. When a report is received from Nirapon, the member can then make informed sourcing decisions for any assessed factory based on the status given to the factory.
The Safety Management Program consists of three core elements: Safety Support in the form of the 90-Day Workbook and Reporting Process, Education and Training, and Helpline Services.
Safety Support facilitated by ELEVATE
Safety Support consists of a robust program that provides members with 7 substantive assessments of a supplying factory every 18 months:
Factory managers are provided with a framework Safety Management System, or SMS, in the form of a 90-day workbook. This helps them to see a more holistic view of safety with a structure to support them to put safe systems of work in place. The factory then submits a report with supporting evidence of the work that has been carried out to make the factory safer including maintenance, training and the communication of safety policy and procedures including management of any helpline calls. Nirapon reviews the report and provides feedback to the factories on areas of improvement. This process is repeated every 90 days.
On-site Safety Support Visits (SSVs) are conducted every 18 months and act as a quality assurance measure of the 90-day workbooks and reporting process. It is important to note that SSVs are not an audit. The SSVs support the factory by providing further guidance on how to improve the safety management of the workplace and production processes. We examine and report on all aspects of their work, what they have done well as well as areas where improvements can be made. We also seek to share areas of best practices across all our factories. This helps to develop a philosophy of continuous improvement across the industry.
Worker Training facilitated by BRAC
Nirapon partners with BRAC to deliver a unique training program to managers referred to as the Safety Management System or SMS – it’s geared toward proactive safety management as a sustainable solution.
BRAC also provides training to factory-based trainers who in turn facilitate workplace training to all factory workers in basic fire safety training as well as training how to respond in an emergency. We refer to this model as Train-the-Trainer model or TtT. This model is also implemented with security guards who can support safety by recognizing hazards as they patrol the buildings and facilitate evacuations.
Finally, we provide a safety committee to managers and selected workers who work to develop and update policies and procedures, seeking a process of continuous improvement.
Amader Kotha Helpline Services
The Amader Kotha Helpline Services provide workers with a direct voice on safety and other issues. It's an independent initiative available to all factory workers with the support of factories and brands. Workers can anonymously report and resolve safety issues as well as other concerns. The helpline also acts as a barometer for safety in Bangladesh factories as well as an information quality assurance agency for Nirapon.
