IPhone Workers Still Sick After Chemical Poisoning (PC World)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 12:01 AM

Guo Ruiqiang says he ease feels displeased more than a year after he suffered chemical intoxication while working on an iPhone production line.

"My legs are ever in discompose and swelling," he said by sound on Monday. "I vexation my information module intend worse."

Guo was digit of 137 workers U.S. school colossus Apple said was unclothed to n-hexane, a chemical cleanup agent that was utilised at digit of its supplier's factories in Suzhou, China. The case was addressed in Apple's most past advancement inform on its suppliers, with the consort locution that "all affected workers hit been aerated successfully."

But that evidence contradicts with the accounts of digit works workers, who feature they ease need scrutiny treatment. In interviews, they said they are existence told by the bourgeois they staleness depart their jobs in order to obtain the rectification for the treatment.

"I'm not mitigated at every with how things hit been handled," said Jia Jing Chuan, additional miss at the artefact who was unclothed to the chemical poisoning. "We hope Apple module move things nervy and do something most this."

The Suzhou works is operated by Taiwanese consort Wintek, a shaper of touchscreens. Apple said it had scholarly most the chemical intoxication in 2010 and afterward required Wintek to stop using the n-hexane and make changes to its ventilation system.

In its latest advancement report, Apple said of the unclothed workers "we move to guardian their scrutiny reports until full recuperation." The inform added, "A eld of the 137 workers hit returned to employment at the aforementioned factory."

But both Guo and Jia, the digit workers at the factory, feature their symptoms are backward and hit been asking Wintek to provide boost scrutiny treatment. So far, the bourgeois has given them no clear response.

"The consort says if you see like the symptoms are backward it's because of your own individualized reasons," Jia said. "They said it's because you hit been drinking, or smoking."

Jia says he neither drinks or smokes.

The employees feature Wintek has offered them compensation, but at the outlay of leaving their jobs and signing an agreement that says they module no longer hit ties to the company.

"Most of the unclothed workers hit already left and exclusive a diminutive number remain," Guo said. "We are worried that if we yield the company, our information module intend worse... we don't move clew the agreement."

Wintek said that the consort is mass comely procedures for treating workers for industry-related injuries. According to Asiatic laws, the workers staleness complete their lessen or yield the employ in order to obtain destined levels of compensation, said consort spokesman Jay Huang.

The consort has handled workers unclothed to n-hexane on a case-by-case basis, Huang added. Workers unclothed to the chemical, but after diagnosed to be full recovered, signed an agreement indicating this. The consort utilised "objective measurements" in its examinations. Workers who had full recovered would not hit reoccuring symptoms.

Apple did not respond to a letter for comment.

Chinese environmentalist Ma Jun, the nous of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), has been mass the situation. He said the amount of rectification depends on the worker, but could vary between US$10,000 to $13,000.

"But the workers anxiety is that the hospital communication is very high in cost. Some of them see they hit the symptoms and that their information is deteriorating," he said. "Some of them are asking for a re-examination, for a newborn physical, to essay and explain their condition."

Last month, IPE and another environmental groups free a inform criticizing Apple for not existence straight sufficiency most its suppliers. Ma called Apple's newest advancement inform a "positive travel forward" noting that the consort had recognized the problems at the Wintek factory.

But still, the statements Apple has made most the advancement at the artefact do not correct up with the accounts of the workers Ma has talked to.

"I conceive Apple should openly analyse every of these problems and essay to hold every the possibleness risks," he said.


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