Health & Safety Management in Tanneries & its Communication in the Leather Supply Chain

This report represents the findings of the University of Northampton (UoN) in the context of research engaged in by The Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of the European Community (COTANCE) and industriAll-Europe, carried out within the framework of an EU funded Social Dialogue project. The research seeks to explore the practices in reporting and communicating Health and Safety (H&S) risks along the leather value chain and how they are managed in tanneries. Although most responses originated in Europe, the research was also keen to acknowledge that leather is a ‘Global Value Chain’; the research therefore reflects practices that span beyond European borders and the implications from the findings and recommendations made have global resonance for the leather value chain.