Retailers Find 80,000 Safety Hazards at Bangladesh Factories

European retailers said on Tuesday they had found thousands of safety problems while inspecting Bangladesh garment factories in a drive to prevent a repeat of last year's Rana Plaza disaster that claimed more than 1,100 lives.

The Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, an umbrella group of nearly 200 European brands such as H&M and Carrefour, said inspectors discovered 80,000 safety hazards in the 1,106 factories investigated this year.

"We've found safety hazards in all factories ... from minor to significant," said Brad Loewen, the Accord's chief safety inspector.