Testing a finished garment reveals little about the chemicals workers may have been exposed to while making it, bluesign advises. During textile dyeing, finishing and coating, workers may encounter hazardous substances that can create serious health risks if exposure is not properly controlled.
Worker health is an essential part of textile sustainability, yet attention often focuses more heavily on product attributes and environmental impacts such as carbon emissions, water use and waste. Chemical exposure during production can be less visible, even though it may have consequences for workers’ health and wellbeing.
bluesign, an SGS company, supports a systems-based approach to chemical management and facility performance. Through the bluesign System, facilities can assess chemical risks alongside worker safety, environmental performance, resource productivity, emergency preparedness and social responsibility.
Drawing on recurring issues identified during facility assessments, bluesign highlights five areas that deserve particular attention: inadequate ventilation and air-quality monitoring; unsafe handling of solvents, adhesives and other chemicals; gaps in hazard assessments and occupational health monitoring; insufficient training; and inappropriate chemical storage, including inadequate labelling, segregation or secondary containment.
Effective management requires more than written procedures. Facilities need to establish whether controls are implemented consistently and are working in practice. The widely used S.T.O.P. hierarchy prioritizes substitution of hazardous substances, followed by technical controls such as enclosed systems and local exhaust ventilation, organizational measures such as procedures and training, and personal protective equipment as a final layer of protection.
Although manufacturers are responsible for providing safe working conditions, brands also need meaningful visibility into occupational health and safety risks across their supply chains. International frameworks, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines, provide an important reference for identifying and addressing adverse impacts. Legal requirements vary and continue to evolve, but effective risk assessment and remediation remain important elements of responsible supply-chain management.
bluesign solutions
bluesign supports apparel brands and manufacturers with solutions designed to help identify, manage and reduce occupational health risks through comprehensive chemical management and facility performance assessment. By evaluating worker safety alongside environmental performance, resource productivity, emergency preparedness and social responsibility, bluesign helps organizations strengthen responsible manufacturing practices across the textile value chain.
Through initiatives such as the bluesign CMR Solvent Phaseout Program, manufacturers can reduce reliance on higher-risk substances while supporting safer workplaces and more responsible chemical management practices. bluesign also helps organizations gain greater visibility into how chemical risks are managed in practice, supporting worker health, regulatory compliance and supply-chain transparency.
