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KB3001
Very good point Peter. Semiconductor firms also worry about the precedent any ...
peter.clarke
Samsung told to pay over cancer deaths
Peter Clarke
6/23/2011 12:07 PM EDT
Hwang and Lee, a father's investigation
One victim was Yu-mi Hwang, who died from acute myeloid leukemia aged 22 on March 6, 2007. Her death was originally assumed to be result of a natural abnormality. The second employee, surnamed Lee, had a 10-year career at the same factory before dying of the same type of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 30.
Yu-mi Hwang's father, Sang-gi Hwang investigated his daughter's death and discovered a number of similar deaths and unusual health conditions, which he asserted were related to the working conditions at Samsung.
"Although the cause of the employees' leukemia has yet to be determined clearly on a scientific basis, it is presumable that their constant exposure to toxic chemicals and ionizing radiation had caused or, at least, expedited the illness. It is fit to say there is a link between their leukemia and their careers," the report quoted the panel of judges as saying
"Given that they carried out cleaning duties on un-automated production facilities at the most worn-out place of the No. 3 bay of the No. 3 line, they seemed to have been exposed to a greater influence of toxic materials," the report quoted the panel of judges saying.
Similar lawsuits against the agency and the company are expected to follow the court decision, which is the first to tie working conditions at Samsung to employee deaths.
Related links and articles:
Samsung commissions chip cancer safety study
Report finds no increased cancer risk at Greenock fab
Campaign highlights Samsung workers' cancer deaths
Chip makers need to conduct cancer study, specialist says
One victim was Yu-mi Hwang, who died from acute myeloid leukemia aged 22 on March 6, 2007. Her death was originally assumed to be result of a natural abnormality. The second employee, surnamed Lee, had a 10-year career at the same factory before dying of the same type of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 30.
Yu-mi Hwang's father, Sang-gi Hwang investigated his daughter's death and discovered a number of similar deaths and unusual health conditions, which he asserted were related to the working conditions at Samsung.
"Although the cause of the employees' leukemia has yet to be determined clearly on a scientific basis, it is presumable that their constant exposure to toxic chemicals and ionizing radiation had caused or, at least, expedited the illness. It is fit to say there is a link between their leukemia and their careers," the report quoted the panel of judges as saying
"Given that they carried out cleaning duties on un-automated production facilities at the most worn-out place of the No. 3 bay of the No. 3 line, they seemed to have been exposed to a greater influence of toxic materials," the report quoted the panel of judges saying.
Similar lawsuits against the agency and the company are expected to follow the court decision, which is the first to tie working conditions at Samsung to employee deaths.
Related links and articles:
Samsung commissions chip cancer safety study
Report finds no increased cancer risk at Greenock fab
Campaign highlights Samsung workers' cancer deaths
Chip makers need to conduct cancer study, specialist says
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Sanjib.Acharya
6/24/2011 11:52 PM EDT
This is a very sensitive issue. I don't know based on what kind of investigation the court passed the order. Samsung should take this seriously and if they don't agree with court's judgment, they should at least propose for an independent authority to investigate if there are any health & safety hazard that might exist at their manufacturing setup. If the issues are found, then they should correct it and pay for it. My sympathy goes with the family of those deceased employees.
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elctrnx_lyf
6/25/2011 3:26 AM EDT
Samsung should sincerely go back and investigate the real issue and correct it. The companies should take care of their employees.
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prabhakar_deosthali
6/26/2011 6:09 AM EDT
There are so many Fabs in existence for years and this looks to be the first of its kind of allegations on the working environment of a fab such as to cause cancer like deadly disease. An independent survey is needed to find out if such possibility exists at all these fabs around the world. This will help these fabs in avoiding such dangers to their employees in future.
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peter.clarke
7/14/2011 5:09 AM EDT
Not the first such allegations.
National Semiconductor at Greenock in Scotland was subject of similar allegations but no study or court found that National Semiconductor had done wrong.
There was a groundwater contamination case in Silicon Valley dating back to the 1970s and early 1980s and a separate long-running legal battle between some workers and IBM.
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Sheetal.Pandey
6/26/2011 10:20 PM EDT
If there is an issue like this, it would be in the interest of Samsung to find root causes, address it honestly and solve it. After all they should not remain in the market for wrong reasons and even if 10% of this is true no one would willingly want to work in those facilities.
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goafrit
6/26/2011 10:39 PM EDT
Too bad, these things keep happening.
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goafrit
6/26/2011 10:41 PM EDT
I think they need an external panel of experts to help them get to the root of this problem. Otherwise, there will be a repeat case. The money is not the solution, the prevention is what matters.
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agk
6/27/2011 9:48 AM EDT
Both the employer and employee are careless. Any disease due to environment will not strike at once. It gives lot of symptoms. These symptoms to be monitored by themselves and the employer for those who work in the hazardous places. Because life is only one for every human.
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peter.clarke
6/27/2011 10:16 AM EDT
Finding or disproving an underlying problem may not be easy.
If the work flow, physical layout, equipment and chemicals in use have all been changed since the unfortunate deaths of Hwang and Lee then investigations start to depend on hearsay and records which may be incomplete or inaccurate.
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KB3001
7/14/2011 10:41 AM EDT
Very good point Peter. Semiconductor firms also worry about the precedent any such ruling could set especially in countries where common law applies. Tricky issue indeed....
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