Does organizational capacity building improve firms’ safety culture? Evidence from the Nirapon Safety Management Program in Bangladesh (360G-LloydsRegisterFdn-G2-100013)

Bangladesh’s industrial expansion has created millions of jobs and increased women’s labour force participation, but it has also revealed deep structural weaknesses in occupational safety and health (OSH). In response, global brands are intervening to build managerial and worker capacity through the non-profit organisation Nirapon. Nirapon implements technical guidance and assessments, education and capacity building, and a worker grievance helpline with 350+ establishments employing over 1 million people. We conduct a randomized controlled trial over two years with all Nirapon manufacturers to assess these activities’ effects on manufacturers’ adoption of safety management systems, OSH culture, OSH performance, and worker turnover.