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Improving occupational safety
and health standards in the tanning industry As a management expert under the Indian project and, later, the UNIDO - Regional Programme on Pollution Control in the Tanning Industry, Dr. Jurgen Hannak has closely been involved with the South East Asian tanning industry since 1994. Here he draws a short resume of the experience gained so far with improving the Occupational Safety and Health standards at work in the tanning industry. Most of us know little about the tanning industry, though we are all using leather in the shape of final products such as shoes, garments, accessories. In South East Asia, where a large percentage of the leather and leather products are nowadays coming from, tanning is done in predominantly small and medium-scale setups, using traditional production methods and technology. Competition in the tanning industry among South-East Asian countries has grown tough during the recent years. Sustaning one’s competitiveness implies optimum use of resources available, combining and converting them in an efficient and productive manner. Even more today as increasingly the focus is shifting from mere cost competitiveness to socially important areas. Environmental-friendly production as well as productivity and motivation of workers have of late gained currency. Country surveys in several South East Asian countries - as conducted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in connection with its Regional Programme for Pollution Control in the Tanning Industry in South East Asia - showed a rather dismal picture of the tanning industry’s performance in terms of pollution abatement, safety and health at work and quality management. Keeping these findings in mind, the Regional Programme was designed in a manner to take an integrative approach when directly assisting the tanning industry in the participating countries, by simultaneously looking at productivity, environmental soundness and worker friendly production. Particularly under the latter, the Regional Programme aimed at enhancing the occupational safety and health standards at work in tanneries and (common) effluent treatment plants (CETP). The approach was based on participation and active involvement of the concerned parties, in particular the tanning industry, from the very beginning. Accordingly, individual tanners and representatives from tannery associations participated and were consulted in the development of the strategy and action plan. Based on a detailed assessment of the prevailing occupational safety and health standards at work in tanneries and CETPs as well as of the overall framework (e.g. legal, cultural and socioeconomic parameters) in the participating countries under the Regional Programme - during late 1996 and early 1997 the final strategy and mode of implementation was jointly decided upon. The day-to-day problems with which the managements have to cope (see key features below) and the long traditions inherent in the tanning sector posed particular challenges for improving occupational safety and health standards and practices at work. Key features of the sector Leather manufacture in many cases is considered a craft with long tradition, which is handed down from generation to generation in the same family. Tanning commodities are often closed societies. Production methods and process flow have virtually not changed for decades except for introduction of some new chemicals or improvement on machines and mechanical equipment. Despite the importance of the tanning sector in the economic context of the country (e.g. contribution to country’s exports revenues, employment, etc.) many small and medium scale tanneries were facing problems such as non-availability of funds (in terms of fixed capita, working capital and access to loan), non-availability of raw material of proper quality and quantity, infrastructure bottlenecks such as power failure or erratic power supply, breakdown of transport and commotion, old plant and equipment, limitations of space, proper layout, need for frequent maintenance and repair and limited access to labour market as work in tanneries is often seasonal and has an unflattering image and lower social standing. Know-how through show-how Taking into consideration the ground realities of the tanning industry, the strategy and mode of implementation was based on an approach termed as "know-how through show-how" principle. The basic idea behind it was to disseminate the integrated concept of productivity, environment and OSH management by assisting few selected tanneries and using these as strongholds for training and demonstration of good practices. The main elements of the strategy, keeping in mind the future sustainability, were:
With about ten months of the implementation phase having passed, this moment may be a good opportunity to draw a short resume of the experiences made so far. The overall assessment is very positive, particularly in terms of awareness creation and tanners’ response. Also, the pro-active endeavours by the tanning industry in the participating countries need to be highlighted at this point. With regard to the demonstration sites in the selected tanneries and CETPs, these have been either completed or are at the final stage of completion - a venture which could not be achieved without the full commitment of the owner, managers and staff at these sites. The necessary mechanical and structural arrangements, using prototypes as well as readily available designs of active and passive machine safety guards, model chemical stores, work place control facilities such local and overall exhaust ventilation, several prototypes of guards, etc. have been implemented on cost-sharing basis. Successful solutions and ideas are documented and shared with the tanners in the other countries. Reduction of noise in tanneries In course of the surveys in tanneries, the experts measured noise pollution and pin-pointed the respective sources. Together with the concerned tanners, low-cost noise reducing devices e.g. noise baffles for locally made tanning machines, low noise emitting gears on tanning drums, were designed and trials conducted in tanneries in India. Once accepted by the tanners, these solutions were presented to tanners in the other countries inviting them to replicate. For example, drum pinions made of Teflon or nylon with up to 70% reduction of noise levels are installed in tanneries in India, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka, following the successful trial runs in two Indian tanneries. The tannery specific safety manual was released in early April 1998 and reviewed during the regional train-the-trainers workshop. The pre-paration of the same was made possible with the feedback and participation from tanners from all over South East Asia. Various R&D institutions in India and Indonesia have entered into agreements with local tannery associations to provide tanners with expert guidance and facilities in respect of advanced work place monitoring and other OSH out-reach services on fee basis. To date, these institutes have received a good number of requests from tanneries and effluent treatment plants. The role of the UNIDO international and national experts was basically confined to guiding the tanners to arrive at the final and appropriate solution themselves as well as to facilitate the intra and inter country dissemination of information and ideas. Tanners are beginning to realise that implementation of OSH improvement measures - such as good housekeeping, preventive machine maintenance, improved chemical handling and storage - result in direct and indirect monetary gains by cost savings - such as lower energy consumption, reduction in wasted chemicals -by improved productivity such as increased machine productivity and better motion of workers.
Conclusions Looking at the experience so far and taking into account the constraints and opportunities arising out of the particular situation of the tanning sector in each of these countries, the following principles can be arrived at, which may have some validity for implementation of similar projects in other industrial sectors as well:
Build on local practices and problems Change is best stimulated by starting from the real problems and conditions in the companies instead of the priorities of outsiders. Approaches have to be flexible and informal. Exchange of experience amongst entrepreneurs can be used to promote positive attitude to change.
Focus on local achievements Emphasis should be put on local improvement measures which are already in use, and highlight the fact that these were designed and implemented at entrepreneur’s own initiative.
Link between occupational safety and health conditions and other management goals The link between improved OSH standards and practices and improved profit situation, cost-savings, etc. need to be highlighted.
Transfer " know-how through show-how" Promotion and explanation of improvement measures yields best results by actually demonstrating the same on-site in a fully operating company. Ideally, the person on-site should explain the improvement measures and achievements.
Foster close involvement and participation of all concerned parties The industrialist or entrepreneur is the main agent of change. Any project or initiative venturing into improvement of OSH in a sector similar to the tanning industry, has to put the entrepreneur into the centre of the activities.
Make entrepreneurs the key advocates of change Wide dissemination in a sector can be relatively easily achieved by involving a few pro-active entrepreneurs to act as advocates of the cause, since the usual barrier between outsider-insider is by-passed in this way. Such entrepreneurs can be found in every industrial sector - the challenge is to identify them.
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