Apple Inc officially admitted on Feb 16 that 137 Chinese workers "suffered adverse health effects" from exposure to a toxic chemical in cleaning agents used at one of its factories in China, the reported.

The chemical, n-hexane, was used at a plant in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, which is operated by the Wintek corporation, the report said, citing Apple's Supplier Responsibility 2011 Progress Report.

"Apple considers this series of incidents to be a core violation for worker endangerment," the report said.

Apple said it has required Wintek to stop using n-hexane and to provide evidence that they had removed the chemical from their production lines, according to the report.

In addition, Apple required them to fix their ventilation system. Since these changes, no new workers have suffered difficulties from chemical exposure, the report said.

Long-term, high-level exposure to n-hexane can damage the peripheral nervous system and eventually the spinal cord, leading to weak and atrophied muscles, male infertility, and even paralysis, according to .

Following China law, Wintek has paid medical treatment, meals, and foregone wages for sick or recuperating workers. A majority of the 137 workers have returned to employment at the same factory, Apple said in the report.

Apple said it will conduct a total re-audit of Wintek's facility in 2011.

The maker of iPad and iPhone also said in the report that it is "disturbed and deeply saddened" by the suicides or attempted suicides at Foxconn Technology's Shenzhen factory over the course of five months.

2月15日，苹果公司发布2011年度“供应商责任进展报告”(Supplier Responsibility Progress Report)。此前一份名为《苹果的另一面》的独立调研报告，披露苹果公司在用工和环境方面存在的问题。苹果还在报告中回应，其供应商苏州联建科技有限公司(下称“联建科技”)的正己烷中毒事件。

2010年初，联建科技发生职工中毒事件。该公司部分员工出现四肢无力、手脚疼痛等症状，甚至有人晕倒在车间。后查实，病因为该公司代替酒精擦拭触摸屏的一种化学溶剂正己烷。事件发生后，30多家环保组织指出苹果公司供应链存在问题，并多次与其交涉。最终，苹果公司在其2011年供应商责任进展报告中对此事做出回应，这是苹果公司首次公开承认国内36家环保组织对其供应商责任的指认。

此外，上述报告提供了苹果公司对127家厂商的审查结果，发现2010年有37家厂商存在关键违规行为，这些行为包括虐待工人、提供虚假审计材料、造成严重环境破坏等。这些供应商分布在中国大陆、台湾、马来西亚、新加坡等地。而2009年报告显示，102家供应商中违规的有17家。

（中文新闻摘自经济观察网）

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