Workers Sickened at Apple Supplier in China

[ari-free]

News Headlines
"Last week, when Apple released its annual review of labor conditions at its global suppliers, one startling revelation stood out: 137 workers at a factory here had been seriously injured by a toxic chemical used in making the signature slick glass screens of the iPhone.
Apple, describing it as a

 

[ScorpDX]

I hate Apple as much as the next person, but a chemical spill at a supplier is not Apple's fault nor obligation to fix! That's their own problem!

 

[Knewz]

I hate Apple as much as the next person, but a chemical spill at a supplier is not Apple's fault nor obligation to fix! That's their own problem!

Very true. apple has nothing to do with this. Sounds like a typical sweat shop to me

 

[byteware]

However, if Apple said that they would, and did not.. that's an entirely different story.

 

[A.Nonymous]

This is just a plan on Apple's behalf to give it's sweatshop works time off. I fail to see the problem here. This is a benefit.

 

[bigbadwulff]

But if this were a company that was seen as "conservative" by the media this would be a HUGE DEAL and they would hound them to death.
If this was Haliburton the news of this would be deafening. As it is, you will hear little/nothing about it.
Sorry to "go there" but the truth is the truth.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Very true. apple has nothing to do with this. Sounds like a typical sweat shop to me

However, I have a reliable source that has told me that this particular factory uses considerable amounts of a compound known as Dihydrogen Monoxide and Apple engineers absolutely know of the potential dangers that can arise from misuse. We know for a fact that Apple has not told their suppliers to find a safer alternative.

That compound is also found in the water supply workers drink from and everyone knows it. Even Apple.

It is found in acid rain, in the tumors of cancer patients, and it is fatal if inhaled. If there is a spill, the workers are required to clean the spill and usually, they do not use safety glasses or gloves. I mean, this is common knowledge. This factory specifically, will not provide protective gear to clean up spills of this compound.

Perhaps this factory uses the chemical in the fabrication of Apples glass screens?

Apple absolutely knows about this and refuses to do anything about it or use a different compound in their manufacturing process. We know there are large traces of the compound on the worker's bodies.

We know this and we refuse to do anything to change.

Bob Maxey

 

[Bob Maxey]

I hate Apple as much as the next person, but a chemical spill at a supplier is not Apple's fault nor obligation to fix! That's their own problem!

Look, Apple and its engineers and safety compliance people absolutely know that Dihydrogen Monoxide is used in that specific factory and they will not change. They do not even provide safety gear for those using the compound in its pure form.

Bob Maxey

 

[ScorpDX]

Apple absolutely knows about this and refuses to do anything about it or use a different compound in their manufacturing process. We know there are large traces of the compound on the worker's bodies.

Not Apple's manufacturing process to change. It's that supplier's!

Look, Apple and its engineers and safety compliance people absolutely know that Dihydrogen Monoxide is used in that specific factory and they will not change. They do not even provide safety gear for those using the compound in its pure form.

Bob Maxey

Maybe so, but as said. That's a supplier, nothing more! Not Apple's problem. If this happened to an Apple employee at Apple inc, then it would be a different story!

I'm not sure where your "source" came up with that chemical or how it relates to this since the story clearly states several times it was n-hexane that caused the injuries.

Googling that comes up with the wiki and several results from this story being over a year old. Looks like CNBC just reran the story with the opening line "Last Week" See the references at the bottom with articles from 2/2010

Hexane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Vihzel]

Need more information and data.

 

[Frisco]

Need more information and data.

+1

Yes, up to date info and data.

 

[byteware]

Maybe so, but as said. That's a supplier, nothing more! Not Apple's problem. If this happened to an Apple employee at Apple inc, then it would be a different story!

I'm not sure where your "source" came up with that chemical or how it relates to this since the story clearly states several times it was n-hexane that caused the injuries.

Googling that comes up with the wiki and several results from this story being over a year old. Looks like CNBC just reran the story with the opening line "Last Week" See the references at the bottom with articles from 2/2010

Hexane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DiHyrdogen Monoxide is Water... H20

It was a joke.

 

[Frisco]

dihyrdogen monoxide is water... H20

it was a joke.

lol!! :d:d:d:d:d

 

[ScorpDX]

Well you can tell I hated Science class! I googled it and found this page. Didn't read much past where it started talking about acid's.

 

[Frisco]

< grabbing popcorn >

 

[Bob Maxey]

DiHyrdogen Monoxide is Water... H20

It was a joke.

LOL . . . should have let it run for a few days. But there you go, you bad person (Smiley) you ruined the gag. Dagnabbit.

I remember the compound from when we used water to clean PC Boards and the word was, the cleaner exposes you to high levels of Dihydrogen Monoxide.

I guess Google makes spoiling things easier.

Bob Maxey

 

[Bob Maxey]

Well you can tell I hated Science class! I googled it and found this page. Didn't read much past where it started talking about acid's.

Go back to Wikipedia and search for "hoax." This was a classic Internet hoax, as is the page you link to.

Bob

 

[Jazziette]

I hate Apple as much as the next person, but a chemical spill at a supplier is not Apple's fault nor obligation to fix! That's their own problem!

Yeah but it's terrible that this happened and the supplier's response is simply not acceptable.

I hope something can be done for those workers!

 

[ScorpDX]

Go back to Wikipedia and search for "hoax." This was a classic Internet hoax, as is the page you link to.

Bob

I'm seeing that now. Several of them on youtube also. All the way to up politicians falling for it!

 

[Bob Maxey]

I'm seeing that now. Several of them on youtube also. All the way to up politicians falling for it!

This hoax perfectly illustrates how something straightforward, 100% accurate, and absolutely undeniable can be used to frighten people that largely do not know any better or react to scary sounding things that are rather innocuous.

Bob loves a grand hoax.

Bob

 

[byteware]

Well you can tell I hated Science class! I googled it and found this page. Didn't read much past where it started talking about acid's.

I just sent that page to my wife and told her I was concerned and that maybe we should look into that.... should be interesting to see how this turns out. (she's never had a chemistry course in her life).

 

[ari-free]

I just sent that page to my wife and told her I was concerned and that maybe we should look into that.... should be interesting to see how this turns out. (she's never had a chemistry course in her life).

Don't forget to save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus!
Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

 

[Bob Maxey]

Don't forget to save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus!
Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

I am immediately reminded of "The Onion."

Perhaps a thread discussing great hoaxes? This thread is about Apple and there are many hoaxes that are interesting to ponder and in no way connected with Apple.

Bob

 

[mikedt]

If it had been a contractor/supplier for Acer or HP or something, it would NOT have been newsworthy.

 

[byteware]

If it had been a contractor/supplier for Acer or HP or something, it would NOT have been newsworthy.

That's not entirely true. I think what makes this newsworthy is the recent history of news reports from Apple factories, especially the high number of suicides among the work force producing Apple products.

This news story isn't just "a spill hurt workers at one of Apple's suppliers".

This news story is basically: "Workers at an Apple supplier factory are yet again subjected to an unsafe work environment".

If HP or Acer had the history of incidents that we're hearing out of Apple plants, then I would expect these kinds of news stories as well.