On August 2, a factory in Zhoushan in the Jiangsu province of China experienced an explosion that killed 75 and injured 185. Reuters is now reporting that three individuals have been arrested. All are executives in the facility.
Kunshan Zhongrong Metal Products Co. Ltd, runs a factory that polishes wheel hubs for General Motors and other automakers. A room filled with metal dust exploded due to insufficient safety facilities. The investigation also concluded that a poor working environment and illegal production methods were to blame.Â
Arrested were the chairman of Kunshan Zhongrong Metal Products, company’s general manager, and a manager in charge of workplace safety. This was China’s worst industrial accident in a year.
Comment
This is another sad story of how suppliers cut their safety costs to win a lower bid to major manufacturers. A similar explosion happened at a Apple iPhone parts supplier. If GM were to build with more quality, ther cost would be higher, and cannot compete with the imports that sell at “Walmart” prices.
This is why we have to know well what we buy and where it came from. Until buyers stop hassling on prices, manufacturers ask for lower bids, and we lose quality and lives.