Explosion at Behram Halı Despite Workers' Warning: 7 Injured in Antep

A terrifying explosion occurred this morning in the garment section of the Behram Halı factory located within the Gaziantep 2nd Organized Industrial Zone (OSB). The explosion, stated to have happened in a steam boiler, caused some factory walls to collapse, and according to initial reports, 7 workers were injured. Material damage also occurred to some vehicles parked around the factory due to the explosion.

Negligence Claim in Factory Explosion: Had Workers Reported the Fault?

Following the factory explosion in Gaziantep, negligence claims came to the agenda. It is alleged that workers had previously reported the fault in the steam boiler, which caused the explosion, to the factory management and requested checks, but these warnings were not taken into account.

BİRTEK-SEN: "Profit Greed Prevailed Over Worker Safety"

BİRTEK-SEN (United Textile Workers' Union), which has members in the factory where the explosion occurred, issued a written statement regarding the incident. The union stated that the event was a result of negligence and lack of oversight, saying, "Workers warned the management about the steam boiler fault, but the warnings were not taken into account. Profit greed prevailed over the safety of the workers." BİRTEK-SEN emphasized that such tragedies will continue to occur unless occupational health and safety measures are taken, real inspections are carried out in factories, and the voice of the workers is heard, and announced that they will follow up on the incident.

Emek Partisi: "This System is a System of Death for Workers"

The Emek Partisi (Labor Party) Gaziantep Provincial Organization also made a statement regarding the factory explosion, pointing out that the event was the result of the danger warned by the workers being "consciously ignored" by the employers and managers. Stating that they confirmed that the workers they interviewed had their maintenance and control requests for the steam boiler ignored, Emek Partisi said, "Thousands of workers lose their lives or become disabled every year due to negligence and lack of oversight. In this system, the life of a worker is not as valuable as the profit of the bosses. This system is a system of death for workers!" Emek Partisi emphasized that occupational health and safety should not be left to employers and should be inspected by independent boards, and called for those responsible to be brought before justice and for urgent inspections to be initiated in all OSBs.

The injured workers were taken to nearby hospitals by ambulances after initial treatment by health teams dispatched to the scene. While it is learned that an investigation has been launched into the incident, the statements from the union and political party have once again brought the negligence claims behind the accident and the seriousness of the occupational safety problem to the agenda. This factory explosion in Gaziantep has once again highlighted the importance of occupational safety measures.

Source: Evrensel.net