What we delivered

  • Safer, more resilient buildings for over 574,000 workers across 500+ factories in Pakistan

  • A widely adopted safety standard influencing practices beyond the textile industry

  • Built long-term local capacity through targeted training for engineers and government institutions

Services used
Electrical engineering / Fire safety engineering / Structural engineering

Get in touch with our team

Pakistan’s textile industry, which accounts for more than half of the country’s annual exports, is a major source of employment. To protect worker health and safety, the Pakistan Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry is a legally binding agreement between global trade unions and brands. The Accord introduces independent building inspections, hazard remediation, comprehensive safety training programs, and a grievance mechanism process, playing a vital role in upholding workers’ rights and safety across international supply chains.

Arup has been a key partner of the Accord since its inception in Bangladesh in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013. The Accord in Pakistan aims to prevent structural failures like Rana Plaza and the 2012 Ali Enterprises fire in Karachi.

As technical advisors, Arup’s team of structural, fire, mechanical, and electrical engineers supported the development of the Pakistan Accord Building Safety Standard and conducted pilot inspections to validate the methodology for the inspection and reporting process during the program’s inception. Once the Accord launched in Pakistan, our team carried out initial building safety inspections and built local capacity by training the Accord’s engineering team and local government organizations.

The program ensures safer and more resilient workplaces for hundreds of thousands of workers. It also supports sustainable economic growth and strengthens local government capabilities to enforce health and safety standards, contributing to long-term improvements in the textile industry and beyond.

Safety program initiation

Arup played a crucial role in launching the Pakistan Accord. Our team conducted pilot inspections including fire, electrical, structural and boiler safety inspections. The information was captured in reports alongside corrective action plans to help identify and address safety hazards. This pilot program led to the development of standardized inspection reports, which provide immediate and long-term recommendations focused on life safety.

By focusing on re-using existing buildings and retrofitting, the program enhances the adaptability of the industry to evolving safety standards and creates a safer built environment.

Veronique Camerer

Deputy Director, International Accord Foundation

People working in a garment factory.

The program aims to establish a culture of safety within Pakistan’s textile industry by fostering collaboration between brands, suppliers and the government. © International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry

A group of people looking at a laptop, drawings and inspection results on a phone.

By building the capacity of local teams, the program enhances the role of engineers in sustainable development. © International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry

Local government capacity building for sustainable impact

To support the Accord’s objectives for a sustainable locally-led team, Arup designed and delivered a tailored capacity-building program for the Accord’s engineering team and local government organizations. A comprehensive institutional capacity assessment across stakeholders in Punjab and Sindh identified opportunities to strengthen technical knowledge, allocation of resources and effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms.

In response, our experts designed and facilitated targeted workshops in early 2025, equipping over 150 participants – from government agencies, academia and professional bodies in Lahore and Karachi – with the tools to strengthen building inspection, structural retrofitting and fire safety strategies.

This has helped establish Accord as a key convener and knowledge hub of building safety practices. By fostering inter-agency collaboration and encouraging a multidisciplinary approach to regulatory reform, the program is contributing to long-term improvements in governance and resilience across Pakistan’s built environment.

Asma Ghayoor

Director, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA)

Practical fire engineering guidance

Arup, in collaboration with the Accord, developed fire engineering guidance focused on life safety. After comparing local and international codes, our team of fire engineers generated specific recommendations for textile factories to identify safety defects and clarify local code ambiguities. This uniform approach ensures all stakeholders understand safety requirements.

Our team also prepared guidance for practitioners using the standard, covering typical scenarios faced in existing textile facilities. The input to the standard and this guidance is part of a process of consulting with local engineers and bringing our international experience in this area, ensuring the outcome is appropriate for the local context.

A sign on a building saying 'Safety does not rely on luck'.

The Pakistan Accord ensures that safety becomes a fundamental aspect of the textile industry’s operations. © International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry