A Pakistani factory that was the site of a fire that killed about 300 workers on September 12 was certified by a monitoring group financed by a nonprofit monitoring group funded by corporations. The inspectors said that the factory had met international standards in nine areas. When the fire broke out, workers were trapped in the factory with one open exit and barred windows. Critics say that monitoring groups funded by corporations cannot be effective, and will not help protect workers. The nonprofit said that it was reviewing the case and its certification process.
See "Inspectors Certified Pakistani Factory as Safe Before Disaster", Declan Walsh and Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, September 20, 2012