Health and Safety for Workers, Customers and Consumers
Leather is a safe product. It complies with the regulations governing the sale of consumer goods. It is made using high-performance processes for the reduction and correct management of substances harmful to the health of workers, consumers and the environment.
Occupational Health and Safety
The safety and health of tannery workers are key elements of Italian tanneries’ social responsibility.
Work processes are conducted in compliance with applicable safety standards and analysed and evaluated to identify short and long-term risks, adopting technical, organisational and management measures to prevent them, mitigate their effects and reduce their probability.
Italian tanneries’ attention to workplace safety is a further path of continuous optimisation aimed at constantly improving workers’ general well-being.
Over the years, companies’ attention to workers’ health and safety has brought important results in terms of prevention, as shown by the INAIL data related to injuries and occupational diseases.
Number of Injuries
No Data Found
2022 INAIL data
Workplace injuires
Commuting injuries
Injury Frequency - % of Total Tanning Workforce INAIL
No Data Found
2022 INAIL data
Number of Recognised Occupational Diseases
No Data Found
2022 INAIL data
Companies’ monitoring focuses above all on the trend of workplace injuries, as investments contributing to the reduction of injuries can be made for events that occur ’internally’, strengthening the workplace safety for workers.
Italian tanneries have put actions in place on several fronts: the use of certified machinery equipped with the necessary safeties; the safe management of chemicals (storage, handling, dosing, waste management); the use of extraction systems on machinery/systems that produce emissions (dust, solvents, for example); operating procedures aimed at minimising risks; the provision of periodic information; continuous employee training. The results are excellent, although they can certainly be further improved.
MANY COMPANIES HAVE ESTABLISHED TRAINING PLANS TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY CULTURE AMONG WORKERS, INCREASING THE AWARENESS AND SENSITIVITY OF EACH OPERATOR, TO THE BENEFIT NOT ONLY OF THEIR OWN SAFETY, BUT ALSO THAT OF THEIR COLLEAGUES.
The diseases INAIL has ascertained as occupational diseases also contribute to dispelling the image of tanneries perceived as unhealthy environments due to the use of chemical substances and mixtures in production. INAIL data shows that in the last available decade (2013-2022), the cases of tumours among workers in the Italian tanning industry amounted to 0.8 cases per year (therefore less than one case per year, with two total cases in the last five years), which corresponds to a ratio equal to 1.5% of the total occupational diseases in the sector (against an average of all Italian industrial sectors equal to 8.04% in the period 1999-2012 and 5.25% in the period 2012-2016 – Source INAIL 2019) and 0.004% of total employees. The majority of occupational diseases of tannery workers (incidence between 65% and 85%) is related to “Diseases of the osteomuscular system and connective tissue”, therefore orthopaedic diseases, due to repeated movements. In other words, the official INAIL data paint a completely reassuring picture with respect to the fake news that working in tanneries causes tumours. In Italy, this absolutely is not the case.
The Safety of Machines and Plants in Italian Tanneries
Tannery processes are associated with some risks to workers’ health and safety related to the use of specific machinery and technologies for the process. The harmonised European legislation (EU Machinery Directive – 2023/1230) applies to specific tannery machines, in addition to specific standards for the type of machine that have been developed by the Technical Commission 200 CEN (European Standardization Centre) under the coordination of ASSOMAC (Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machines for the leather supply chain: tannery, footwear, leather goods). As further support, ASSOMAC has produced specific Tanning Technology Notebooks that describe the main plants used in tanneries and contain a section on safety, ergonomics and maintenance.
Occupational Health and Safety
The production of leather tanned in Italy guarantees the highest safety standards required by European and national legislation, applied and controlled in a widespread and rigorous manner.
The use of chemicals is, first and foremost, subject to the following regulations:
Regulation (EC) n.1907/2006, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals).
REACH is an integrated regulation for the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals which aims to ensure a greater level of protection of human health and the environment, while seeking to maintain and strengthen the competitiveness and innovative capabilities of the European chemical industry. It is the most complete and attentive regulation to these issues and for this reason it is a reference model worldwide.
Regulation (EU) 528/2012 the Biocidal Products Regulation, BPR, concerns the sale and use of biocidal products, used for the protection of humans, animals, materials or objects against harmful organisms, such as parasites or bacteria, through the action of the active ingredients contained in the biocide, establishing its limits and fields of application depending on the type of use.
These regulations are mandatory on European territory and also guarantee compliance with the requirements imposed by the main export markets.
Sensitivity to the possible presence of restricted chemicals in leather has been growing over the years and has undergone exponential growth since 2008, the year in which the first Candidate List of SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) was published. The list includes substances which, due to their dangerousness, should be progressively withdrawn from the market and replaced with less dangerous alternatives.
Since then, there has been a proliferation of requests from customers (RSL – Restricted Substances List) who unfortunately often ask, without any reason or technical-scientific justification, for more stringent limits than those of the law, analyses of non-legislated substances, maximum concentration limits which are lower than their detection limit, inadequate or unreliable test methods, etc.
The result is great confusion, which has required Italian tanneries to take action to offer correct, relevant and adequate answers, as well as guarantee the concrete safety of consumers and the environment.
COLLABORATION WITH THE CUSTOMERS OF FASHION HOUSES, OFTEN FOCUSED ON MORE RESTRICTIVE OBJECTIVES THAN LEGAL LIMITATIONS, HAS FURTHER ACCENTUATED THE NEED FOR TANNERIES TO RAISE THE LEVEL OF ATTENTION (AND PERFORMANCE) WITH REGARD TO THE SUPPLY OF RAW MATERIALS AND THE USE OF CHEMICALS.
Supply Chain Certifications and Projects
ISO 45001 ‘Occupational Health and Safety Management System’ certification issued by ICEC and on tanneries certified in this regard.
Operating in terms of transparency, guaranteeing compliance with the main chemical and environmental requirements, almost all Italian tanneries have obtained certifications from accredited third-party bodies regarding their environmental management systems, as well as those for occupational health and safety.
ICEC is the accredited certification body that is most active and used by Italian tanneries for the certification of occupational health and safety management systems.
Working together along the entire supply chain (and beyond) has become a fundamental step in defining the minimum requirements applicable to leather and drawing up practices and guidelines on specific topics.
Given the ever-growing attention towards these issues, Italian tanneries increasingly also adhere to voluntary programs focused on the transparent management of the chemicals used according to an integrated prevention and precaution approach.
ZDHC Project (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals)
One of these programs is ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals), created to support companies in eliminating hazardous chemicals from their activities.
In order to attest to the sector’s sensitivity and commitment to the sustainability of the entire supply chain, UNIC has begun to collaborate with ZDHC, an initiative launched in 2011 by some brands, mainly in response to Greenpeace’s Detox campaign. The ZDHC program uses an integrated approach to eliminate certain classes of hazardous substances from the textile and footwear production chains. Its numerous working groups (MRSL, wastewater control, training activities, data management and confidentiality, development of audit protocols, research) initially focused on textiles. A specific section for leather has been organised since autumn 2017: it includes dedicated working groups, of which UNIC has been the point of contact as spokesperson for Italian tanneries, making its specialists available to best support the Leather Working Group’s activity. The program has involved the definition of a chemical management system valid for all sectors of the fashion system.
UNIC’s participation in the ZDHC program continues today, providing training on chemical and the wastewater management system.
Finished Product Analyses and Standardisation
Italian tanneries go further for this aspect as well, implementing a series of checks on its finished product to further guarantee proper chemical management during the process.
Sample management, analysis reliability, development and validation of test methods applicable to leather, verification of laboratory performance: these are some of the most current topics, and the subject of active cooperation between suppliers, tanneries and customers, in particular national and international fashion brands.
Chrome-Tanned Leather and Consumer Safety
Chrome-tanned leathers have been predominant in the tanning industry and market for many years (click here to learn about the main tanning methods); this is linked to the fact that the use of chromium in tanning is safe for the consumer and sustainable for the environment.
The chromium III content, which is the only type used for leather tanning, does not pose any significant health risks, as is clear from the available studies. This is mainly related to its low ability to penetrate the natural barriers of leather, therefore to its poor bioavailability. Consumer safety is further guaranteed by controls along the supply chain to verify the quality of the tanned leather and the non-detectability of chromium VI in leather objects.
Certain studies on the sensitization effects of chrome-tanned leather are questionable from a scientific point of view, given that they do not present any characterization of the leather, nor do they distinguish origins, manufacturing practices and therefore quality of the materials. The phenomena of leather irritation associated with the use of leather products are mainly attributable to already sensitized subjects, which constitute a minority of the population. Furthermore, since the role of other substances present has not been examined, there is no evidence that allergic reactions in subjects are due to chromium III and/or chromium VI released by the leather. In particular, it is noteworthy that the studies presented have not found any correlation between the amount of total chromium released and the onset of allergic leather reactions. In any case, the phenomenon of sensitisation/allergic reaction affects only a few subjects out of the entire population and appears to have minimal relevance, which is further reduced if the leather industry avoids the use of chromium VI and follows good practices in the use of chromium III in tanning processes.
Click here to learn more about chromium VI and good practices to inhibit its formation.
It cannot be excluded that by eliminating chromium III from the tanning process, there could be an increased risk of sensitisation due to the type and greater quantity of organic compounds necessary for the production of leather of comparable quality.
Italian tanning produces leather according to the best available technologies and good manufacturing practices and can guarantee a high level of safety, as well as quality and stylistic content, of its productions.
UNIC Chemical Specifications
To clarify the sea of Italian and European chemical legislation, UNIC’s Environment and Specifications service has supported tanneries on chemical-legal issues since 2004, also with periodic publications of legislative updates (leather and chemicals, rules of use).
The first ’UNIC Specification’ dates back to 2011 and has reached its 15th revision. It lists the substances subject to European legislation, their limits, the analysis method and any useful observations (e.g., exclusions of particular uses).
The Specifications therefore provide a clear reference to the minimum legal requirements to be respected by those producing leather in Italy.
The Specifications also integrate non-European legislative references and additional limitations required by the main international markets.
The UNIC Specifications have been presented and discussed with the most important client companies.
Revised with main legislative changes (semi-annual update of the SVHC list, issuance of chemical laws in non-European countries, e.g., California), the document is available on request (write to servizio.capitolati@unic.it).
On this topic, important collaborations have also been developed in recent years with various client brands and their category representatives (e.g., Camera Nazionale della Moda, Confindustria Moda, etc.).