Safety Regulations for Leather Goods

In case of the leather industry, measures are mainly targeted at preventing

hazards through chemicals and keeping exposure to dust as low as possible.
Chemicals used for several process steps, with tanning being a very
important one. Substances like pesticides, solvents, dyes, finishing agents
and processing chemicals are frequently toxic and persistent, both to the
environment and to human health.

The health problems and safety regulations here are associated with
chemicals are primarily related to skin contact or inhalation of hazardous
chemicals. Exposure to certain chemicals could lead for example to
disability, illness and even death in the long term.

The chemicals used in tanning and other operations may be hazardous

individually or when mixed. A number of fatal accidents have occurred
world wide due to the unintended generation of toxic hydrogen sulphide gas.
These accidents where not only fatal for employees; the surrounding
community was heavily affected too. It showed that occupational health &
safety is more than the well being of employees.

Exposure, toxic effects, and the percentage of chemicals used in the leather
products should therefore adhere to the standards set by the authorities.
 Country Wise Legislation Laws restricting the content
of “Azo dyes” in Leather Products
Azo dyes are often used in the coloring process of several textiles and
leather products. Relatively recently it has been recognized that some Azo
coloring agents may form amines (breakdown products), which have
carcinogenic and mutagenic properties.

 European Union Legislation Laws For Leather Products

The European Union restricts the marketing and use of certain dangerous
substances and preparations (Azo colorants) in leather products. The
legislation is relevant for all products made leather or in which leather is
used and which come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin and
mouth. These include producers of textiles and garments, leather goods,
shoes, toys, furniture, decorative articles, jewellery and accessories.

EU legislation: Azo dyes in leather articles

Azo dyes are often used in the colouring process of textiles and leather.
Many azo dyes exist that can be used to dye textile and leather. Part of these
dyes has the capacity to release certain aryl amines which pose cancer risks.
For this reason, the European Union laid down legislation to prevent
exposure to these hazardous arylamines. This indirectly implies that those
azo dyes that can split into these restricted amines can no longer be used to
dye textile and leather products that come into contact with the skin.
Outline of the requirements of Directive 2002/61/EC
The European Commission has published legislation restricting the use of
azo dyes which can release one or more specified amines in textile and
leather articles. This legislation is laid down in Directive 2002/61/EC,
amending Directive 76/769/EEC on the marketing and use of dangerous
substances and preparations.

The aim of the Directive is to protect the consumers’ health in the EU. The
Directive is applicable to all leather products that may come into direct and
prolonged contact with the human skin or oral cavity. The examples of
products listed are:
• Clothing, bedding, towels, hairpieces, wigs, hats, nappies and other
sanitary items, sleeping bags,
• Footwear, gloves, wristwatch straps, handbags, purses/wallets, briefcases,
chair covers, purses worn around the neck,
• Leather toys or leather garments,

The Directive establishes that the products covered by the legislation may
not contain the 22 amines listed in Table 1 in a concentration above the
threshold limit of 30 ppm. This limit, 30 ppm, equals the detection limit.
all parts of a product should comply with this limit, and that this limit
applies to each amine separately.
E.g. a textile shoelace of leather footwear needs to comply with the limit
of 30 ppm, as well as the leather parts of footwear. It is not allowed to take
the average concentration of a certain amine in the complete product.
 The UK legislation: Azo dyes in leather articles
The restricted use of azo dyes in textile and leather articles as established in
Directive 2002/61/EC and amended by 2004/21/EC was implemented in the
United Kingdom by the Controls on Certain Azo Dyes and "Blue Colorant"
(Amendment) Regulations.

The UK legislation is a direct transposition of the EU legislation. This

means that the UK legislation sets the same requirements as the EU
Directive. The table below provides a summary of the legislation.

Substance Azo dyes that may split into harmful

(CAS amines (92-67-1, 92-87-5, 95-69-2,
number)*: 91-59-8, 97-56-3, 99-55-8, 106-47-8,
615-05-4, 101-77-9, 91-94-1, 119-90-
4, 119-93-7, 838-88-0, 120-71-8, 101-
14-4, 101-80-4, 139-65-1, 95-53-4,
95-80-7, 137-17-7, 90-04-4 and 60-
09-3)
Products: Leather articles which may come into
direct and prolonged contact with the
skin or mouth
Requirement: Limit: 30 ppm
Status: Existing implementation of EU
legislation
Source: The Controls on Certain Azo Dyes
and "Blue Colourant" (Amendment)
 Regulations

*
A CAS number is a unique identifying number assigned to chemicals by
the Chemical Abstracts Service.

Legislation Laws restricting the content of “Chromium”

in Leather Products

Hexavalent chromium, abbreviated as Cr(VI) is a substance hazardous to

health. Cr (VI) can for example cause allergenic reactions in people. The
substance itself is not used in the leather tanning process, but can be formed
from the use of Chrome III. However, if the tanning process is optimized,
the Cr (VI) level can be as low as the detection limit.

Germany Legislation- Chromium in Leather Products

The General product safety requirements in Germany are laid down in the
LMBG (Lebensmittel und Bedarfsgegenstände Gesetz). Governments use
such general requirements to protect consumers for products for which there
is not any specific legislation.

In Germany, it is forbidden to manufacture or distribute commodities in such

a way, that "if used properly or as anticipated, they may constitute a danger
to health on account of their material composition, particular through
toxicological substances or impurities."
Considering the hazardous nature of Hexavalent Chromium, the German
enforcement authorities strongly advise all those marketing leather products
in Germany to ensure that the Cr(VI) content of the leather should not
exceed 3 ppm.

Substance: Hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI))

CAS 7440-47-3
Number:
Products: Leather products
Requirement: It is strongly advised not to market leather
products in which the Chromium content exceeds
3 ppm.
Status: Interpretation of general product safety
requirement
Source: Lebensmittel und Bedarfsgegenstände Gesetz

JAPAN
Restrictions on Harmful Substances
Handling baby and children’s wear demands observing the Law for the
Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances. These
restrictions are under the jurisdiction of the Office of Environmental
Chemicals Safety, Environmental Health Bureau, Ministry of Health and
Welfare, and the restrictions also apply to goods other than clothing. Details
of the restrictions on baby and children’s wear grouped according to type of
harmful substances are shown in the following table.
 RESTRICTED SUBSTANCES LIST (RSL )

This Restricted Substances List (RSL) was created by a special

working group of the American Apparel & Footwear Association’s
(AAFA) Environmental Task Force. The RSL is intended to provide
apparel and footwear companies with information related to
regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and
substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products
around the world.
The following table lists the various chemicals, and application areas
and also the raw materials, component parts, chemicals, sundries and
other things of value in which they can be expected.
TABLE - CHEMICALS – DESCRIPTION AND SOME FIELDS OF
APPLICATION
Nickel Nickel is a Nickel metal is mainly used metal parts,
metal element for plating of alloys, natural
that may be improving the corrosion fibers, man
present as either resistance in alloys, made fibers
a pure metal or improving the hardness of
as nickel alloys and is a key element
compounds, in the production of
e.g., salts. stainless steel. Nickel
compounds can be used as
pigments and as fixing
agents. Both nickel metal
and nickel compounds can
occur as an impurity in
pigments and alloys
Antimony Antimony is a Antimony can be used as a leather,
metal that may catalyst in polymerisation manmade
be present as of polyester. Antimony fiber,
either a pure compounds can be used as natural
metal, or as a flame retardants, fixing fibers, metal
compound, e.g., agents and can be found in parts
salts. pigments.
Arsenic It can be present Arsenic and its compounds leather,
as a pure metal, can be used in some manmade
as non-metal or preservatives, pesticides fiber,
as arsenic and defoliants for cotton natural
compound fibers, metal
 parts
Chromium Chromium is a Chromium compounds can leather,
(Cr) metal element be used as dyeing additives, manmade
that is present as dye-fixing agents, for after fiber,
a pure metal or treatments in order to natural
as chromium improve colour fastness. fibers, metal
compounds Dyes for wool, silk and parts
polyamide textiles could
contain chromium
complexes, especially for
dark shades. Chromium
salts are used for tanning of
leather.
Chromium Chromium is a Used in leather or suede Leather
VI metal that is tanned with chromium salts
present as a
pure metal or as
chromium
compounds.
Cobalt Cobalt is a Cobalt compounds can be leather,
metal that is used as pigments. Cobalt manmade
present as a metal can be used in metal fiber,
pure metal or as alloys natural
cobalt fibers, metal
compounds parts
Lead Lead is a metal Lead compounds can be leather,
element that is used as stabilizers for manmade
present as a plastics, in pigments for fiber,
 pure metal or as textiles or paints, e.g., natural
lead compounds surface paints on zippers fibers, metal
and buttons, as well as in parts
prints on plastic products.
Mercury Mercury is a metal Mercury compounds can
element that would be present in pesticides and
not be normally found can be found as a
in its metallic form. contaminant in caustic
Mercury will form soda. Mercury compounds
compounds with other can be used in paints, e.g.,
chemicals, e.g., salts. surface paints on zippers
and button
Phthalates Used as softener (plasticizer) in plastics, prints, plastics
print pastes, adhesives and other and rubber
products. Up to 50% of soft PVC plastic
can be a phthalate softener, but other
plastics or prints can contain phthalates
as well. Plastic buttons could contain
phthalates.
Organotin Mainly used as stabilizers in Prints, plastics
Compounds plastic/rubber but also as anti-bacterial and rubber,
agents in textiles. Can be found in anti leather.
corrosion coatings in drums containing
for example dye stuff. Used as catalysts
in plastic production
Phenols Phenols (PCP/TeCP) are sometimes used natural fibers,
to prevent mold when growing cotton man made fibers,
and when storing/transporting fabrics. prints, plastics,
 Phenols can be used as a preservative in and rubber,
print pastes. leather and paper
Isocyanates Isocyanates are used in the production of fabrics
polyurethane plastics and foams.
PCBs These are large molecules containing They are mainly
many chlorine atoms used as
pesticides, but
also as softeners,
carriers and
flame retardants
Chlorinated Bleaching Used for bleaching textiles, paper etc
agents
Solvents Organic solvents are mixtures of volatile, Solvents are used
commonly petroleum-derived, chemicals. whenever
Many contain large amounts of something is
chlorinated derivatives. needed to be
dissolved, for
example, in the
dyeing/printing
process, when
removing spots
on ready made
garments and for
dissolving the
glue when
making shoes
Perflourinated PFOS and PFOA are included in a group PFOS and PFOA
Alkylated of chemicals called fluorocarbons. They are used in the
Substances are surfactants known to be stable, not production of
(PFAS) sensitive to heat and to repel both water fluoropolymers
and oily compounds. which are used
as impregnating
agent on textiles,
e.g., water
repellents.
Where to
Expect
Chemical Description Field of Application Chemicals
Azo Dyes and Aromatic amines For dyeing textiles, Natural fibers,
Pigments can be a part of prints and leather man made fibers,
the molecular products. Both leather, prints,
structure in AZO pigments and dye plastics and
dyes used both stuff may contain rubber
for natural and banned amines.
synthetic
materials
Disperse Dyes Disperse dyes Mainly for dyeing Man made fibers,
are molecules polyester fibers but prints, plastics
that can also polyamide, and rubber.
penetrate the acetate, viscose and
fiber system of other man- made
polyester. It is fibers
not chemically
bonded to the
fiber but trapped
inside the fiber
 by physical
forces. Some
disperse dyes are
also banned azo
dyes as they can
cleave to form
the restricted
amines
Other Dyes For dyeing textiles and other materials.
Flame Retardants To decrease the flammability of the
product, e.g., lowering the energy (heat)
of the flame.
Formaldehyde Formaldehyde is Formaldehyde or Natural fibers,
volatile and formaldehyde man-made fibers,
colourless and is releasing compounds prints, plastics
present in small can, for example, be and rubber,
amounts in the used for pre- leather and
atmosphere, shrinkage, easy-care paper.
tobacco smoke, and pre-crinkle
glue and air treatment, and for
pollution. Due to fixation or
its volatility, preservation of dyes
formaldehyde is and prints.
"contagious". If
you place a
garment with
formaldehyde on
 top of a garment
that does not
contain
formaldehyde,
the other
garment may
become
"infected".
Fabric samples
for testing need
to be packed
separately in
plastic bags.
PVC PVC is a plastic In the textile industry Prints, plastics
that can be soft PVC could be used to and rubber
or hard, make soft plastic
transparent or accessories like
coloured. PVC badges, sequins and
may contain zip pullers or as
phthalates, coating on textiles for
organotin rainwear and prints.
compounds, lead Various kinds of
and cadmium. prints might be made
out of PVC