IBM accused of poisoning workers

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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.theregister.co.uk"&gt;The Register<a> reports that IBM has been accused of running an unsafe working environment which has resulted in an unnaturally high rate of disease amoung its employees.

The report is based on a information that has come to light as a result of a lawsuit filed against IBM in the U.S.

Almost 200 former and current employees (or their families) are parties to the suits, which allege that the computing giant did nothing to safeguard the safety of workers handling chemicals known to be hazardous to people since the mid-1980s, until ten years later - well into the 90s.

In that ten-year period, IBM workers were subject to various forms of cancer or their children were born with birth defects at a higher frequency than the general population, the lawsuits allege.

The allegedly dangerous chemicals IBM workers were exposed to were used in semiconductor and disk drive manufacturing in its East Fishkill plant and in other manufacturing facilities across the US.

Companies that supplied chemicals to IBM are also named as defendants in the suits.

IBM denies the claims, which it says are without scientific foundation.

Leonardo

IBM workers were subject to various forms of cancer or their children were born with birth defects at a higher frequency than the general population, the lawsuits allege.

Whenever I read those buzzwords together - birth defects and cancer, I start to become circumspect and suspicious about the claim. 'Birth defects' and 'Cancer' have often been baseless charges thrown up against businesses. Case in point was the power line scare of a few years ago.

Perhaps there was inordinate exposure to toxic chemicals at IBM that possibly resulted in debilitating effects; odds are that these people are grasping at straws.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in full compensation to the plaintiffs if their charge is correct. Just hope it's scientists doing the science - not bureaucrats, lawyers, or special interest groups.

Geeky1

I agree with Leo on this one. If the charges are true, make them pay. If it's more BS, thinly disguised as "science", then the suit should be thrown out

RWB

I had no idea that Boron and Phosporous was that much of a dangerous chemical for Humans. I know they are toxic, but they used to make toxic crayons and the booze I drink is also a Toxin.