A new report into conditions in six denim factories in the Chinese province of Guangdong, a region responsible for half of the world’s entire production of denim jeans, has identified debilitating disease blighting the workforce. The report, ‘Breathless for blue jeans: Health hazards in China’s denim factories’, found that sandblasting is still widespread in China in order to give jeans a worn or ‘distressed’ look. This is despite most Western brands banning the practice three years ago because of its link to silicosis, a deadly lung disease that has already caused the deaths of many garment workers, in countries including Bangladesh and Turkey (Hazards 113).

The new research, based on interviews with workers, also revealed that they are exposed to other dangerous finishing techniques to distress denim, including hand-sanding, polishing, dye application and spraying chemicals such as potassium permanganate, with limited protective gear and inadequate training in the proper use of equipment.

The report was produced by IHLO, the Hong Kong Liaison Office of the international trade union movement; the global network Clean Clothes Campaign; Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM); and the workers’ rights pressure group War on Want.

Dominique Muller from the Clean Clothes Campaign, the author of the report, said: “Only a complete ban on sandblasting will end this deadly practice. Despite brands’ promises to the contrary, this lethal method continues to be used. It is clear that voluntary bans by brands are not enough to protect workers. Brands have failed to undertake due diligence in ensuring alternative methods are safe and workers protected.”

Monina Wong, IHLO coordinator, said: “While China has passed many occupational health and safety regulations, their implementation is very poor. It takes years for workers to be properly diagnosed, and many die before they even make it to the examination stage. Even if they manage to get diagnosed, it is difficult for workers to prove their employment relationship with the factory, as very few have official contracts. Brands should ensure their suppliers provide diagnosis, treatment and compensation for workers suffering from silicosis or other related diseases.”

MANY HAZARDS Workers are exposed to silica and other dangerous finishing techniques to distress denim, including hand-sanding, polishing, dye application and spraying chemicals such as potassium permanganate, with limited protective gear and inadequate training in the proper use of equipment. Factory workers are forced to endure these dangerous conditions for up to 15 hours a day in order to make ends meet, with the basic minimum wage often as low as 1,100 yuan (€137, £116) a month.

TRUE COST Textile firms will not sort out the life-sapping dust and chemical exposures in their factories unless they are made to. “It is unacceptable that the deadly use of sandblasting continues, when brands are supposed to have stamped out the practice,” said Laia Blanch of War on Want. “Shoppers need to know that their jeans do not come at the expense of workers’ lives, yet even the brands themselves admit they are unable to verify that sandblasting has been discontinued. Now governments must act.” Photo: CCC

DANGER MONEY  Rather than sort out deadly problems, the garment factories pay the workers a little extra to endure the lung-destroying conditions. Liang Pui Kwan of  SACOM said: “It is dreadful that factory owners and brands continue to use sandblasting. Despite being aware of the health risks, they have apparently decided to compensate workers by paying higher wages.” Photo: CCC

DEATH SENTENCES  Silicosis is incurable lung scarring caused by the inhalation of dust containing crystalline silica. It is one of the oldest known occupational diseases, and still leads to thousands of deaths every year worldwide. Previously those most at risk were coal miners and quarry workers, but the intensity of the sandblasting process now means that garment workers are suffering from acute silicosis, which can lead to a rapid death. Exposure to crystalline silica is also a cause of cancer, autoimmune diseases and other conditions. Photo: IHLO

HEAT AND DUST “In our department, it’s full of jeans and black dust,” one worker reported. “The temperature on the shop floor is high. It's difficult to breathe. I feel like I’m working in a coal mine.” Photo: SACOM

VOLUNTARY INACTION  A global campaign for a complete ban on sandblasting was launched by campaigners and global unions in 2010, quickly followed by the announcements of voluntary bans from major brands including Levi Strauss, H&M and Versace. However, the new report shows that these voluntary bans are failing to protect workers’ safety. Photo: SACOM

SHIFTING PRODUCTION  In Turkey (above), where 57 garment workers have so far died from silicosis and where there are 1,200 registered cases, the government imposed a ban on the use of crystalline silica to sandblast denim and other textiles. The response of many garment producers has been to move their operations to other countries such as China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and parts of North Africa. Photo: CCC

Photo: SACOM

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Jean damage

Governments and companies must take urgent action to stamp out the continued use of sandblasting and other unsafe finishing processes in the manufacture of denim jeans, a campaign coalition has demanded.

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