Samsung publishes sustainability report, shows a long way to go

The Verge observes that Samsung’s new 2014 Sustainability Report shows that the company has a lot of work to do to get its manufacturing in order.

As part of its 2014 Sustainability Report, Samsung commissioned independent inspections at 100 of its suppliers in China and the results make for grim reading …

This is no exaggeration. The inspections of 100 of its Chinese suppliers found:

• 59 sites lacked adequate safety equipment and monitoring
• half had workers under 18 handling hazardous chemicals
• 33 failed to properly manage sewage and waste-disposal

In addition, most suppliers exceeded the legally-allowed overtime hours, and a third failed to provide proper social insurance for workers.

Earlier this year, Samsung issued a “deep apology” and promised compensation to families after a documentary revealed that 56 of its employees contracted leukemia and other forms of cancer after coming into contact with dangerous chemicals at a Samsung plant, several of them dying as a result.

Samsung is not the only company to be found wanting in its Chinese manufacturing operations, with Apple also coming under fire in regard to both Foxconn and Pegatron operations.

Image credit: scmp.com