Industry Group 311: Leather Tanning and Finishing - (SIC 3111) Establishments primarily engaged in tanning, currying, and finishing hides and skins into leather. This industry also includes leather converters, who buy hides and skins and have them processed into leather on a contract basis by others.

Industry Group 313: Boot and Shoe Cut Stock and Findings - (SIC 3131) Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing leather soles, inner soles, and other boot and shoe cut stock and findings. This industry also includes finished wood heels. Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing heels, soling strips, and soles made of rubber, composition, plastics, and fiber are classified in Major Group 30.

Industry Group 314: Footwear, Except Rubber – (SIC 3142) House Slippers are establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing house slippers of leather or other materials. (SIC 3143) Men's Footwear, Except Athletic and (SIC 3144) Women's Footwear, Except Athletic are establishments primarily engaged in the production of men's and women’s footwear designed primarily for dress, street, and work. Establishments primarily engaged in the production of such protective footwear as rubbers, rubber boots, storm shoes, galoshes, and other footwear with rubber soles vulcanized to the uppers are classified in Industry 3021. (SIC 3149) Footwear, Except Rubber, Not Elsewhere Classified are establishments primarily engaged in the production of athletic shoes, youths and boys' shoes, misses', children's, infants', and babies' footwear.

Industry Group 315: Leather Gloves and Mittens – (SIC 3151) Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing dress, semi-dress, and work gloves exclusively of leather or leather with lining of other material. Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing sporting and athletic gloves are classified in Industry 3949; those manufacturing dress, semi-dress, and work gloves and mittens of cloth or cloth and leather combined are classified in Industry 2381; and those manufacturing safety gloves are classified in Industry 3842.

Industry Group 316: Luggage – (SIC 3161) Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing luggage of leather or other materials. Examples include briefcases, luggage, musical instrument cases, and traveling bags.

Industry Group 317: Handbags and Other Personal Leather Goods – (SIC 3171) Women's Handbags and Purses are establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing women's handbags and purses of leather or other materials, except precious metal. (SIC 3172) Personal Leather Goods, Except Women's Handbags and Purses, are establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing small articles normally carried on the person or in a handbag, such as billfolds, key cases, and coin purses of leather or other materials, except precious metal. Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing similar personal goods of precious metals are classified in Industry 3911.

Industry Group 319: Leather Goods, Not Elsewhere Classified – (SIC 3199) Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing leather goods, not elsewhere classified, such as saddlery, harnesses, whips, embossed leather goods, leather desk sets, razor strops, and leather belting. Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing gaskets and packing are classified in Industry 3053.

Note: The following table represents only the potential occupational health concerns related to the entire leather and leather products industries based on a job task or work activity, and any related OSHA standards for regulatory compliance. The information presented does not indicate or suggest a relative risk of exposure based on the location within the table nor provides any exposure information. Health risks associated with fatigue, working long hours, and other psychosocial disorders are not addressed.

The focus of this information is to provide guidance to understand the occupational health hazards from chemical substances, physical and biological agents, radiological, ergonomic, and environmental hazards from exposure to plants and animals. Potential occupational health exposures in this industry were contrived from the OSHA Integrated Management Information System database between 1984 to 2020. Additional information was obtained from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Health Hazard Evaluations performed by request of employee representatives and organizations from 1978 to 2020.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images.

Worker Exposure Profiles in Leather and Leather Products

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