Pennsylvania College Requires Safety Agreement With Apparel Makers

Penn State says it will require companies that make university-licensed clothing in Bangladesh to sign a contract that ensures workers’ safety.

The Centre Daily Times said Wednesday the policy will be effective at the end of March and is in response to safety hazards in the southeast Asian country, where a garment factory collapsed last year and killed more than 1,100 workers.

If companies do not sign the legally binding contract, called an “accord on fire and building safety,” the university will end the license agreement.

University administrators said they consulted the student group United Students Against Sweatshops as part of their decision-making.

President Rodney Erickson said the contract is the most effective way for companies to protect workers.