Apple Supplier Pegatron Reports Explosion in Shanghai Plant
Pegatron has reported an explosion at its Shanghai plant that has injured several employees.
Apple supplier Pegatron has confirmed that an explosion at one of the company's subsidiary plants has resulted in the injury of more than 60 employees. The blast occurred at a Shanghai factory operated by RiTeng Computer Accessory, which counts HP and Asus among its clients and is owned by Pegatron, an Apple supplier. Engadget reports that the company was in the middle of a trial production of aluminum iPad 2 back panels when the explosion happened.
According to a filing with the Taiwan stock exchange (via the Register), the incident took place at about 3pm on December 17. It is described as a minor explosion that "occurred at particle collecting equipments." Staff suffering injuries after the explosion were taken to the hospital. The filing, which was submitted on Friday, states they were kept in for observation.
The explosion is expected to have minimal impact on production or business operation and the company has said it will make 'the best effort' to provide medical treatment and assistance for affected employees. The equipment damaged by the explosion will be tuned and used once it has been adjusted. The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, but a preliminary investigation points to aluminum dust.
This is the second explosion this year at an Apple supplier. Back in May, an explosion at one of the factories Apple uses to make the iPad 2 has claimed the lives of three workers.
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Once again - Apple factory workers in the news for getting hurt at their work place. I'm yet to actually hear anything good about where Apple get their stuff built.
Cheap is cheap.
Of course, everyone here will automatically blame Apple for this.
Never mind the appalling laws governing working conditions in China that make accidents like this possible in the first place. No, it's probably Apple's fault.
Of course, everyone here will automatically blame Apple for this.
Apple didn't cause the conditions that ended with the explosion and injuries, but they are notorious for using low-grade factories with appalling records simply they're cheaper to run and give Apple a bigger margin. Look it up - so many of the reports of their factories and been report right here on TH.
"Particle collecting equipment" probably means a dust collection system, provided to protect workers against the inhalation of aluminium alloy dust. Aluminium is a powerful combustible and is used in solid rocket fuel. A powder manufacturing plant blew up in Anglesy, North Wales, maybe 20 years ago. Europeans have a great deal of expertise in dust explosion prevention/ protection.
Apple didn't cause the conditions that ended with the explosion and injuries, but they are notorious for using low-grade factories with appalling records simply they're cheaper to run and give Apple a bigger margin. Look it up - so many of the reports of their factories and been report right here on TH.
Completely irrelevant. Apple are nothing more than a customer. It's essentially little different to you or I going to a grocery store and choosing the best value products to get a job done. The factory is *entirely* responsible for the safety of their workforce - not their customers.
And yes, I've read the stories on Tomshardware before - they're difficult to miss. Tomshardware is *the* most Apple-centric yet Apple-loathing [excuse for] a tech website I've ever visited in my life, and will likely ever visit. The amount of infantile "LOLOLOL THEY WEREN'T HOLDING IT RIGHT" comments I see here on a day to day basis is frankly laughable... and for all the wrong reasons.
Completely irrelevant. Apple are nothing more than a customer. It's essentially little different to you or I going to a grocery store and choosing the best value products to get a job done. The factory is *entirely* responsible for the safety of their workforce - not their customers.
Read back, I never said apple were responsible and I agree the factory is entirely responsible. What I'm saying is that once again Apple have been found out for using shitty low-level factories regardless of having the money and resources to have their stuff built else-where in more competent environments.
(FYI, I don't just buy the cheapest at the store. I get the ones that look the best or are fair trade)
Read back, I never said apple were responsible and I agree the factory is entirely responsible. What I'm saying is that once again Apple have been found out for using shitty low-level factories regardless of having the money and resources to have their stuff built else-where in more competent environments.
"Found out" for what, exactly? Apple aren't committing any humanitarian crimes by sourcing their resources cheaply and selling them for a fortune - that's how business works, unfortunately. Look at Dominos Pizza, as an alternative example. Their expense to produce a pizza compared to what they charge the customer would probably even make Steve Jobs turn in his grave.
I don't buy cheap tat either - but I'd like to think I wouldn't be held personally accountable if I bought a cheap microwaveable meal only for the bloke who helped package it to commit suicide the next week.
blah blah blah
Would you read back to what I'm writing please?
I'm not saying it's Apples fault there are problems with the factories. And yes, after running a business for 4 years now I'm well aware of how business works.
What I'm saying is that Apple have a very bad record of using the cheapest of the cheap factories that are constantly breaking even their own laws on employment age, policies, safety and salary and it would be a moral move for them to make 5% less mark-up, but use better factories.