shoppers habits not changed by garment plant fire [View all]

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BANGLADESH_FACTORY_FIRE_SHOPPERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-11-30-09-42-36

NEW YORK (AP) -- Before purchasing a shirt, shoppers will run their hands over the fabric, look at the price tag and wonder how it will hold up in the washing machine. Some might even ask if it makes them look fat.

The one detail, however, that is rarely considered: What are the conditions like for the workers making the shirt?

A horrific fire that raced through a Bangladesh garment factory Saturday, killing 112 people, has put the spotlight - at least temporarily - back on those workers and their sometimes treacherous work environment.

The factory, owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., made clothing for several retailers around the globe including Wal-Mart, Sears and The Walt Disney Co. All three companies have distanced themselves from responsibility for the incident, saying they didn't know that their subcontractors were using the factory.