|
After a series of suicides at its China plants earlier this year, Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker had to temporarily shut down a mobile phone components manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu after about 250 workers fell sick. The Taiwan-based company had to shut down its facility at Sunguvarchatram in Tamil Nadu yesterday after 250 workers or about half the workforce had to be hospitalised when they complained of giddiness and nausea. The Sunguvarchatram plant, which has a workforce of about 500 people, was shut for nine months and was reopened on 23 July due to increase in orders. The company had fumigated the facility including the air-condition ducts prior to the reopening, which may have caused the sickness once the AC's were started. While most of workers were treated and sent home, around 12 workers were kept back at Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre for observation and five of them are likely to be discharged today. "The company believes that the incident may have been caused by the routine spraying of pesticide at the production facility, but all possible causes are being investigated by the relevant local authorities in India," Foxconn said in a statement. Workers at the plant use isoprophyl alcohol, which is used to clean components. This chemical is routinely used at all technology company plants globally and is not the reason for the mass scale sickness unless it is spilled in large quantities.
|
