ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Electromechanical Engineering Department

Industrial Health and Safety (EMEg3301)

Test-2: Home Take Exam – Group Work (8%)

Case Study: Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis at TASSCO

Tikur Abay Shoe Share Company, (formerly called ASSCO Shoe Factory) was established in 1948 by
an individual entrepreneur. Later, the factory was nationalized and become a public enterprise in 1976
with a new name called “Tikur Abbay Shoe Factory”. Since then, the factory continued operating with
this new name up to 1988. However, following the change of the economic policy of the country from
command economy to market economy, the company was re-established and become a share company
with a paid up capital of birr 22,053,000 in 1998.

The business purpose of the company is to produce all kinds of leather shoe and shoe uppers in
accordance with the market demand and supply of same for local and foreign markets. The company’s
main product lines are:

a) Military boots, civilian working boots, regular shoes including children and ladies’
shoes, all in genuine leather for both local market and for export, and
b) Glue (sole glue, vulcanizing glue and lasting glue) to local market and for own factory
use.

The company is specialized in vulcanizing molding process for soles that ensure sturdiness and lasting
wear under the toughest condition. The share company has an annual capacity of producing 536,000
pairs of various shoes and 200,000 kg of multipurpose glue in 8hrs per day.

The main processes of the production systems are cutting, stitching, bottoming and finishing; in cutting
section, cutting of leather to different shoe components is done by modern Hydraulic cutting machines;
in stitching section, assembling of the different components of the upper parts of shoes is done by 104
different types of flat bed, post-bed, zigzag, eyeleting machines and others. In lasting section, shaping
the upper to the last is done by automatic counter molding machine, toe, side, and heel seat lasting
machines. In addition to the lasting machines; it is equipped with a modern versatile type of lasting
machine that lasts all types of civilian, children and ladies’ shoes. In bottoming section, attaching
lasted upper to the sole is done in two ways; the main bottoming line is direct vulcanization where the
lasted upper and raw rubber is stacked on by using new modern p22 types of vulcanizing machines

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within 6 minutes. This new p22 type of vulcanizing machines can make two types of colors. In
addition, the Unit Sole Attaching line is equipped with modern roughing, insole reinforcing, sole
attaching, pressing and leveling machines. In the finishing section, trimming, polishing, shoe lacing
and packing is done by different shoe finishing machines.

In TASSCO, in addition to the main processing line, there are also auxiliary lines; in Insole
preparation, inside parts of shoe such as toe puff, counter, insole and stock lining are prepared by
hydraulic cutting, insole forming, counter splitting and skiving, Insole trimming and so on. In Rubber
Mixing line, raw rubber is mixed with other ingredients to give the desired output properties, with the
help of three heavy roll calendars, two shaping and two cutting machines. In Unit sole preparation line,
different types of unit sole, tiles, sealing and so on are produced with the help of two press machines
with four and three beds respectively. In its Glue Manufacturing, the Share Company produces
different types of glue including vulcanizing sole glue and lasting glue.

Generally, TASSCO is one of the biggest and earliest shoe manufacturing enterprises in the country. It
has been in the business for the last 56 years. The existence a special product line, vulcanization and its
long years of experience have made the company to have a strong hold and good reputation in the
sector. However, the emergence of new local shoe manufacturing plants and unrestricted in flow of
shoes from different countries of the world to the country are highly threatening the position of the
company in the market.

(The data were collected by Ephrem Gidey, in December 2009)

Problem:

1. Based on the case study, identify all the possible hazards and classify into the different hazard
types [4].

2. There are few employees who worked for more than 15 years in each station and production
line; Assume that they were exposed to the hazards and were not provided with appropriate
personal protective devices; what could be the possible health and safety risks? [4]

Note the followings:

a) Read additional concepts/theories related to the manufacturing of Shoe product;

b) Deadline: Friday, January 10, 2020.
c) Two seemingly similar answers will be subjected for further investigation and penalties.
d) Each group member will be questioned to answer during submission. Any group member
who cannot, at least, defend what has been done in group will be marked as zero.