Chemical Handling in Tannery: An Empirical Analysis of Chemical Management in Tanning Industry, Savar, Bangladesh
Authors
Hossain, Md Alamgir ; Hossain, Md Sakhawat
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-06-01
Pages
109
Abstract
Bangladesh’s tanning industry faces a growing threat in the international leather market because many tanneries have not secured third-party compliance certification and lack a safe chemical management system. This has led to lost buyers, fewer work orders, and a damaged reputation. This thesis examines what drives gaps in chemical management. It combines qualitative insights from secondary sources with a face-to-face survey of 125 employees from six tanneries in the BSCIC Tannery Industrial Estate, Hemayetpur, Savar, Dhaka. The quantitative data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS statistical program (version 29), and factor analysis was applied to identify the main drivers. The study highlights four key factors: (1) knowledge about safe storage and unloading of chemicals, (2) employers’ attitudes toward chemical effluent disposal and chemical dosing, (3) factual complications in obtaining third-party certification, and (4) chemical training and safety concerns. Based on these findings, the thesis proposes interventions aligned with laws, rules, standards, guidelines, policies, and best practices used in the global tanning industry. It also incorporates opinions from chemical experts gathered via an online survey and offers suggestions to strengthen the roles of different stakeholders so a safe chemical management system can be established in Bangladesh’s tanneries. Achieving sustainable improvement will require coordinated efforts from government, employers, workers, and buyers and brands.
Bangladeshs garveriindustri står over for en voksende trussel på det internationale lædermarked, fordi mange virksomheder ikke opnår tredjeparts overensstemmelsescertificering og mangler et sikkert system for kemikaliehåndtering. Det har ført til tab af kunder, færre ordrer og et svækket omdømme. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvad der driver afvigelser i kemikaliehåndteringen. Vi kombinerede kvalitative data fra sekundære kilder med en spørgeskemaundersøgelse ansigt til ansigt blandt 125 ansatte fra seks garverier i BSCIC Tannery Industrial Estate, Hemayetpur, Savar, Dhaka. De kvantitative data blev analyseret i IBM SPSS (version 29), og en faktoranalyse blev brugt til at identificere de væsentligste drivere. Analysen peger på fire nøglefaktorer: 1) viden om sikker opbevaring og aflæsning af kemikalier, 2) arbejdsgivernes holdning til bortskaffelse af kemisk spildevand og kemisk dosering, 3) faktuelle komplikationer ved at opnå tredjepartscertificering og 4) kemikalietræning og fokus på sikkerhed. Afhandlingen foreslår indsatser med udgangspunkt i love, regler, standarder, retningslinjer, politikker og bedste praksis, som anvendes i den globale garverisektor. Den inddrager desuden online indsamlede ekspertvurderinger på kemikalieområdet og anbefalinger til at styrke de forskellige aktørers roller, så der kan etableres et sikkert system for kemikaliehåndtering i Bangladeshs garverier. Varige forbedringer kræver en samlet indsats fra regering, arbejdsgivere, arbejdere samt købere og brands.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords