A systematic review of occupational health and safety improvements in sustainable leather manufacturing practices

The leather tanning industry is under scrutiny for its environmental impact and worker safety concerns amid a global push for sustainable practices. To address these issues, initiatives like cleaner production, chrome-free tanning, circular economy models, and green chemistry are being implemented to promote safer and more sustainable practices. This review paper evaluates the impact of sustainability initiatives on improvements in occupational health and safety (OHS), while supporting economic and environmental objectives. This study adopts a systematic literature review approach to assess the existing body of research on sustainable initiatives in the leather industry, particularly their impact on OHS in workers. A qualitative classification scale has been developed to evaluate the strength of association between specific interventions that adopt sustainability initiatives and improvements in worker health and safety in the leather tanning sector. Papers directly discussing sustainable initiatives that impact OHS in workers were classified as having a strong positive relationship, while papers focusing less on the impact of these initiatives on worker health and safety were categorized as having a weaker association. A total of 31 relevant studies were identified and reviewed. The findings indicate a generally positive, strong (9 articles) and weak (15 articles) association between sustainability efforts and OHS improvements in the tannery working environment, although the strength of OHS remains underrepresented in sustainability research. The literature shows that while sustainability initiatives have demonstrated benefits for environmental sustainability, their direct impact on worker health and safety remains underexplored. The review highlights the need for integrated sustainability frameworks that incorporate OHS indicators. Future research should prioritize participatory, field-based studies that align with SDGs and emphasize both environmental and social well-being. The originality of this research lies in its focus on identifying and categorizing the gaps between sustainability initiatives and OHS improvements in the leather tanning industry, an area that has been underexplored in existing literature. By linking sustainability practices directly with worker health outcomes, this study provides a new perspective on how sustainability can enhance both environmental and social sustainability.