62 Workers Poisoned at Apple Supplier

62 workers, 15 more than initially reported, have fallen ill after toxic chemical exposure at Wintek’s Suzhou, China-based factory, according to a Global Post report.

Among the factory employees sickened, 41 are still hospitalized, said Huang Zhongjie, a spokesman for Wintek in Taiwan.

Workers at the factory suffered nerve and muscle damage after working with the toxic chemical hexane to clean component touch screens for electronic products. The company and local government both say Wintek’s factory has since stopped using the chemical in its manufacturing process. Several media outlets, including the official China Daily newspaper in Beijing, have reported the factory makes screens for Apple’s new iPad tablet computer, but a factory manager said Thursday he could not confirm that. Workers were uncertain about the ultimate destination of the LCD screens they made.

Apple did not reply to GlobalPost’s requests for comment; however, they did just release an extensive report on supplier responsibility in which they address how the company is committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility from their suppliers.

Apple found that 75 percent of the 100 plus suppliers it audited were in compliance with health and safety codes. They did not name the specific companies that failed to meet standards.

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