Bangladesh has a long tradition of exporting leather products, and the leather sector stands as the second-largest export sector of the country. Despite this, the Bangladeshi leather tanning industry faces challenges related to low productivity and inadequate occupational health and safety (OHS) measures, posing obstacles to the sustainable development of this sector. The leather tanning process involves the extensive use of various chemicals, particularly arsenic, in transforming raw hides and skins into finished leather. The release of these harmful substances during the production process contributes to severe environmental pollution, adversely impacting the health of employees and local communities, as evident in Bangladesh. Therefore, Susleather research project aims to create new knowledge on sustaining Lean implementation and improving OHS in the leather tanneries of Bangladesh. By integrating Institutional Logics theory, this project  explores the challenges in sustaining initial improvement in Lean and OHS practices to improve and maintain good working conditions in the tanneries, both in terms of health and safety.

The Susleather project is financially supported by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and is being implemented in collaboration between researchers from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology. Several Bangladeshi tanneries are participating in this action based research project.