In the wake of the death of a 15-year-old Pegatron worker, Apple dispatched its own medical experts to the site in question to conduct an investigation, and has found that the boy’s death was not due to working conditions at the plant.
The results of the investigation were provided by Apple in a statement to Reuters on Thursday. The iPhone maker found that the boy died of pneumonia, and there was nothing in the factory that would have caused the illness.
“Last month we sent independent medical experts from the U.S. and China to conduct an investigation of the factory,” read Apple’s statement. “While they have found no evidence of any link to working conditions there, we realize that is of little comfort to the families who have lost their loved ones.”
No mention was made of the claims of “several” other employee deaths made on Wednesday by the China Labor Watch group. The watchdog organization has alleged that “at least five” workers employed at Pegatron factories in China have died in recent months.
15-year-old Shi Shaokun was hired at a Pegatron plant after providing falsified documents showing he was of legal age to work in a Chinese factory.
“Apple has a long-standing commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace for every worker in our supply chain, and we have a team working with Pegatron at their facility to ensure that conditions meet our high standards,” the company said.
Pegatron issued its own statement, saying its own investigation also showed that the boy’s death wasn’t related to workplace conditions. However, China Labor Watch claims the boy underwent a physical examination on September 4th, and it showed he was in good health. He died in October.
As for the other deaths, Pegatron told Reuters that three other deaths occurred in the March/April timeframe this year, and were also caused by medical conditions unrelated to working in the factory.
