Transparency – LABS Initiative

Transparency is at the core of the Life and Building Safety program. Only by providing insights into the program and its partners, LABS can be as effective as possible. Therefore, once the LABS program is fully operational, high levels of transparency will be provided, particularly surrounding its standard, activities, progress, and remediation status of factory partners.

The program will publicly share:

The LABS Standard and Methodology by which factories are measured for Structural, Fire and Electrical safety
Assessment protocols
The program’s factory list
Factory assessment data (also when a factory is long-term non-compliant)
Corrective action plans (CAPs)
Remediation reports
Helpline data
LABS newsletters

VIETNAM		INDIA
FIRE	88% of the factories have removed temporary obstacles from evacuation pathways. 50% of the factories have provided additional illuminated exit signs at the exit doors. 25% of the factories have removed locking mechanism from exit doors. 23% of the factories have replaced shutter doors and sliding doors with the side hung doors.	37% of the factories have installed emergency lights. 53% of the factories have removed temporary obstacles from the evacuation pathways. 64% of the factories have installed the illuminated exit signages. 25% of the factories have removed locking mechanism from the exit doors.
ELECTRICAL	79% of the factories have removed lint and dust from electrical panels and distribution boards. 67% of the factories have remediated issues related to high temperatures observed in electrical panels and distribution boards. 60% of the factories have provided backup power for emergency lighting and fire alarms. 54% of the factories have provided protection devices and cable sockets/ferrules for the cables	82% of the factories have removed lint and dust from electrical panels and distribution boards. 87% of the factories have taken needful corrective actions to reduce high temperatures observed in electrical panels and distribution boards. 87% of the factories have provided earthing connections for the electrical components.
STRUCTURAL	33% of the factories have installed the bracings for boiler heating vents. 29% of the factories have remediated issues related to the vertical structural system. 21% of the factories have added or tightened the bracings for the lateral structural system in their steel structures. 15% of the factories have remediated issues related to corrosion of steel elements.	31% of the factories have remediated issues related to cracks observed in beams and columns. 50% of the factories have remediated corrosion observed in non-engineered structures (such as MS shed). 37% of the factories have remediated the dampness observed in walls.

LABS Initiative will publicly post information about factories that are behind schedule in their remediation activities or are terminated from the program due to consistently missing remediation deadlines. Brand's sourcing teams will have access to detailed data on this. LABS will monitor remedial actions. The program ensures that improvements are sustained through technical and public policy experts. Assessments will be performed by vetted experts. LABS Factory Coordinators will function as the mediate between factories and LABS Brands and Retailers on monitoring, assessment and remediation. LABS is committed to monitor consistent corrective action plans (CAPs) as per LABS Standards and Methodology. An account for the participating factory will be created on the Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC) online platform to share reports, assessments, training information, and CAPs for the factories with the participating brands. Inspections by LABS vetted assessment firms will be reported on the FFC platform. Summary of the remediation data will also be shared with wider stakeholders, on LABS website that shows which factories are committed to making a positive change.

Factories onboarded

Workers reached

Assesments conducted