n-hexane
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Apple bans the use of two potentially harmful chemicals in final device assembly
Apple has banned the use of two potentially harmful chemicals in the final assembly of its devices. This ban was confirmed by vice president of environmental initiatives Lisa Jackson in a statement posted on Apple's Environmental Responsibility website. Recently, we received some questions about whether the chemicals benzene and n-hexane are used in the manufacturing of our products. Apple treats any allegations of unsafe working conditions extremely seriously. We took immediate investigative action, sending specialized teams into each of our 22 final assembly facilities, and found no evidence of workers' health being put at risk. We've updated our tight restrictions on benzene and n-hexane to explicitly prohibit their use in final assembly processes. Apple is requiring its manufacturers to remove the chemicals, benzene and n-hexane, from the assembly process and to test all cleaning agents and degreasers used in the final assembly of devices for these chemicals. The company is working with manufacturers to find safer alternatives. As part of its committment to produce both a safe product and a safe working environment, Apple also is creating a new advisory board to reduce the use of other toxins in its supply chain. [Image from Apple's website]
Wintek workers still experience effects from n-hexane exposure, Apple issues a report
It's been a few months since we checked in on the workers at Wintek, where they manufacture touchscreens for the likes of Apple. As you might remember, the former company was facing a lawsuit for chemical poisoning that occurred between May 2008 to August 2009 when the company substituted alcohol for n-hexane in the manufacturing process. Both Apple and Wintek maintain that ultimately a total of 137 people had been hospitalized, and all have recovered -- but as Reuters points out, daily exposure to the chemical has been known to cause "long-term and possibly irreversible nerve damage," and Wintek employees have maintained that the company has left them holding the bag for symptoms that could very well flare up again in the future (or, in some cases, never really went away). "We are unable to cope with the medical costs of treatment in the future," said Guo Ruiqiang, a worker at the plant. "We can only stay in the factory and see what happens. We just feel very helpless now." For Apple's part, the company has mandated that Wintek "work with a consultant to improve their Environmental Health and Safety processes and management systems" in anticipation of a complete reaudit of the facility in 2011. [Warning: PDF More Coverage link]
44 Chinese workers sue Wintek over screen cleaner poisoning
If you've got an early Apple iPad, chances are its screen was cleaned with a banned substance called n-hexane, which releases a toxic nerve gas upon use. 2,000 workers at Wintek's East China LCD plant went on strike in January, claiming the substance was poisoning them, and now 44 of those reportedly affected are planning to sue. According to reports, the screen cleaner was originally used because it performed better than alcohol, but Wintek has since fired the factory manager who suggested n-hexane and discontinued its use. That didn't keep 62 workers from winding up in the hospital, however. The Guardian interviewed two hospitalized workers last week, and you'll find their stories at our more coverage link below. We're sure you'll agree these Chinese labor violations are getting out of hand -- let's hope this lawsuit spurs government and industry to do something concrete about worker abuse.
2,000 Wintek workers go on strike over bonus payments, may affect Nokia and iPhone production
As the Year of the Tiger approaches (February 14th this year), Chinese workers look forward to their week-long holiday -- a nightmarish time for foreign vendors who'll struggle to get hold of anyone in the country. Sadly, this wasn't the case for Wintek -- screen supplier for Nokia, Huawei and Apple. The Taiwanese company's East China factory ground to a halt last Friday morning, while about 2,000 of its 10,000 workers went on a five-hour protest over a rumored bonus cancellation for the second year in a row. On top of that, workers also criticized Wintek for using n-hexane -- a banned substance used for cleaning LCDs -- which they claim caused the death and paralyzation of several workers last year. Factory officials and Chinese health authorities don't deny that n-hexane was used, but they say it wasn't responsible for either the deaths or the paralyzations. Now, the good news: Wintek has promised that workers will get their bonuses, and further said that the factory hasn't used n-hexane since August -- complete with proof that current n-hexane levels are lower than safety regulations require. Let's hope things get better between management and workers from now on. One more picture and video of the protest after the break.
