Foxconn Working Conditions were Criticized Before Fire

A ii-calendar week old report from a Hong Kong-based watchdog group may make us more insight into the plosion that killed iii people at a Foxconn assembly plant in China on Friday.

The Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) released a 20-page report (PDF) along May 6 on working conditions in Foxconn facilities crosswise China, including the Chengdu deftness where Fri's incident occurred. Apple is also indicted in the story, since its products are massed in Foxconn plants.

The report alleged workers at the Chengdu deftness are forced to work excessive overtime and face up "alarming" occupational health and safety issues, including large amounts of airborne dust in some areas:

"Workers in the polishing department also sound off that the department is full of aluminum dust. Even though they have worn gloves, their manpower are still covered by dust and sol (is) their face and clothes. Some workers comment that public discussion on shop floor should live improved."

The conditions described in the report card bottom give brainstorm into what caused the blast in the iPad 2 assembly establish on Friday.

The Recent Seeland Herald reports that anon. Foxconn employees told China's Social science Beholder newspaper the blast was plausibly a dust burst, which is caused by the combustion of abeyant particles in a confined space.

It ISN't much of a stretch to believe that was possible considering what one Foxconn employee said in the SACOM reputation.

"I'm respiration in dust at Foxconn just like a vacuum cleaner. My nostrils are totally pitch-dark regular," the employee said.

Foxconn has been below scrutiny for several years after a serial publication of suicide attempts by its employees. In response to unfavorable judgment the company said it was changing policies to better working conditions.

A few weeks back, Foxconn responded to SACOM's report saying it inaccurately represented the company:

"We have made tremendous progress over the past year as we work to go our diligence in meeting the necessarily of the new genesis of workers in China and that has been official by the many an customer representatives, outside experts, and reporters who suffer visited our facilities and openly met with our employees and our management team."

Apple is also working with the manufacturer to father to the bottom of the conditions at its plants and the incident on Friday. It told All things Digital happening Fri:

"We are profoundly saddened by the calamity at Foxconn's plant in Chengdu, and our hearts go resolute the victims and their families. We are working closely with Foxconn to realize what caused this horrendous event."

Hopefully Foxconn is taking steps to better conditions in its assembly plants in Red China, but if nothing else Friday's incident confirms that there is still room for improvement.

Video: Foxconn Explosion Claims Three Lives