Workplace Safety: A Necessity or a Luxury in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of Bangladesh?

Following the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern human history, Bangladesh Government has been getting external pressure to amend and adequately implement its “Workplace Safety Laws.” Garment factories like the ones in Rana Plaza (the collapsed building in Savar) are large organizations. Along with the large companies, a significant number of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Bangladesh employ more than 31 million people. Workplace safety should be a concern for their employers, or is it? Why are they reluctant about it? What is being done to ensure safety? Are they getting pressured or motivated by externalities? Safety measures, if taken, are enough? What else can be done to improve workplace safety? This research paper aims to find out and analyze the answers to the above questions concerning workplace safety in the MSMEs of Bangladesh. A blend of secondary and primary sources (survey amongst a significant number of owners of various MSMEs and observation of a few organizations) were used. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out to explore the unknown. The results show a somewhat reluctant approach by the owners regarding this issue. However, it was also found that the government has taken a lot of initiatives to minimize workplace safety hazards and is on the verge of implementing them. Thus, a few alternatives involving lobbying and marketing activities to create greater awareness were recommended.