Introduction: Lean is increasingly used by garment manufacturers to increase productivity for reducing costs and lead time. Yet, it has not been documented in a review whether lean actually improves productivity, and it is an open question whether lean can improve productivity without jeopardizing occupational health and safety (OHS). Objective: This article contributes to this debate by reviewing the present knowledge about the effect of lean on productivity and OHS in the RMG industry. Methodology: A systematic review of the available peer-reviewed studies of lean in RMG and its related effects on productivity and OHS. Results: We identified 18 relevant articles, which showed strong positive effect of lean on productivity and weak positive to mixed effects of lean on OHS. Conclusions: Our results indicate that lean in RMG is likely to improve productivity, but RMG manufacturers need to make careful assessment of the effect of lean on OHS and adjust lean implementation accordingly.

Purpose: Lean manufacturing has the potential for simultaneously improving the competitiveness and the social sustainability of the apparel industry in developing countries. However, there is limited research on the ways to a successful lean implementation in developing countries and with an emphasis on occupational health and safety (OHS) improvement.Design/methodology/approach: The paper investigates four cases of lean implementation in garment factories and uses the design science research strategy, building on the context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO) framework to identify explanatory mechanisms that can be used for designing future action.Findings: The study identifies tangible mechanisms that can lead to successful lean implementation. The most important mechanisms relate to practical top management support, worker involvement, application of lean tools and training.Practical implications: The findings of this study can guide better lean implementation for the many garment factories in developing countries.Originality/value: While the lean literature provides general recommendations for lean implementation, knowledge about the transfer mechanisms in developing countries as well as the connections between lean and OHS is limited. This paper contributes to lean implementation theory and to the discourse of positive lean by integrating efficiency and working conditions. In addition, the paper identifies transfer mechanisms for lean implementation in the garment industry in a developing country.

BACKGROUND: Garment manufacturers have been adopting lean manufacturing in order to increase productivity and competitiveness. However, the effects of lean on occupational health and safety (OHS) of the workers are not clear. In the literature, there is an ongoing debate about whether lean and OHS are complementary or contradictory. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to contribute to the knowledge base about the relationship between lean and OHS in garment manufacturing. METHODS: The study follows an action research methodology including an intervention aimed at improving productivity and OHS in six garment manufacturers in Bangladesh. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for investigating the effect of lean tools on productivity and subsequently on OHS. RESULTS: We observed instances of improvements of OHS related to the application of three lean tools (VSM, 5 S, Time and Motion Study) in the factories. Furthermore, our results do not indicate negative health effect on workers’ short-term muscular pain, but rather show a statistically significant improvement of workers’ health. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that it is possible to apply lean without adverse effects for workers, if OHS risks are taken into consideration. However, possible long-term effects on workers’ health need to be further investigated.

Plastic waste causes severe environmental impacts worldwide and threatens the lives of all creatures. In the medical field, most of the equipment, especially personal protective equipment (PPE), is made from single-use plastic. During COVID-19, the usage of PPE has increased, and is disposed of in landfills after being used once. Worldwide, millions of tons of waste syringes are generated from COVID-19 vaccination. A practical alternative to utilizing this waste is recycling it to reinforce building materials. This research introduces an approach to using COVID-19 syringe plastic waste to reinforce building material as composite concrete. Reinforced fiber polymer (FRP) concrete materials were used to mold cylindrical specimens, which underwent mechanical tests for mechanical properties. This study used four compositions with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% of FRP to create cylindrical samples for optimum results. Sequential mechanical tests were carried out on the created samples. These specimens were cured for a long period to obtain water absorption capability. After several investigations, the highest tensile and compressive strengths, approximately 2.0 MPa and 10.5 MPa, were found for the 5% FRP composition samples. From the curing test, the lowest water absorbability of around 5% was found for the 5% FRP composition samples.

Purpose: When companies implement lean production, the negative health effects can often worsen, especially by increasing musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) due to heavier workloads. However, there has been limited research on employees’ health, including MSD, in lean working environments. This paper aims to determine the connection between employee participation in lean practices and the reduction of MSD. Design/methodology/approach: This research used mixed methods and interpretive structural model (ISM)-MICMAC analysis to assess the impact of MSD in Bangladesh’s ready-made garments industry following intervention-based action research under a lean context. Additionally, the ISM-MICMAC model analyzes the relationship between the nine identified factors and determines the factors’ dependence power and driving power. Findings: The findings revealed relationships between employee involvement and the initiation of changes towards ideal ergonomic sitting postures of sewing workers during a lean environment. This research also suggested that changes in ergonomic sitting postures influence worker safety behavior by reducing operators’ MSD, and the intervention resulted in a notable reduction in different pain perceptions. Moreover, “training and awareness” and “reorganizing workstation” are the significant driving factors for reducing MSD during the lean implementation. Research limitations/implications: The research is conducted on a small sample size; involving more garment factories and workers could enhance the validity and provide more definitive insights. Practical implications: The findings can guide garment factories, especially in developing countries, in developing better health and safety standards as part of a lean environment, ultimately fostering a healthier and more productive work environment. Originality/value: This paper is the first to address intervention-based action research to identify workers’ involvement in lean implementation to reduce MSD. It also contributes a conceptual interpretive structural model that may help factories prioritize some factors while implementing lean while simultaneously focusing on the workers’ health.