Breathless for Blue Jeans: health hazards in China’s denim factories

"Chinese workers are at risk of contracting fatal illnesses while working in factories which produce blue jeans for Western brands. Even though some brands have banned sandblasting in the production of their ‘distressed’ jeans, the practice continues behind closed doors. This report exposes the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Muller, Dominique
Institution:ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
Format: TEXT
Language:English
Published: Amsterdam 2013
Clean Clothes Campaign
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19113745124919319279-Breathless-for-Blue-Jeans-heal.htm
Description
Summary:"Chinese workers are at risk of contracting fatal illnesses while working in factories which produce blue jeans for Western brands. Even though some brands have banned sandblasting in the production of their ‘distressed’ jeans, the practice continues behind closed doors. This report exposes the use of sandblasting and other harmful techniques used to produce worn-out look denims, threatening the lives and health of workers. It follows an investigation of six denim factories in the south China province of Guangdong, a region that is responsible for about half of the world’s entire production of blue jeans. The factories produce blue jeans for major brands including Levi Strauss, H&M and Gap. Although these brands have made public announcements that they were going to phase out sandblasting in their supply chains, the practice continues."
Physical Description:34 p.
Digital