Like many of our customers and others around the world, we were disturbed and deeply saddened to learn that factory workers were taking their own lives at the Shenzhen facility of Foxconn.
Recognizing that we would need additional expertise to help prevent further tragedies, we launched an international search for the most knowledgeable suicide prevention specialists—particularly those with experience in China— and asked them to advise Apple and Foxconn.
Two leading experts accompanied Apple COO Tim Cook and other Apple executives on a visit to the Shenzhen factory in June 2010. This group met with Foxconn CEO Terry Gou and members of his senior staff to better understand the conditions at the site and to assess the emergency measures Foxconn was putting in place to prevent more suicides.
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In August 2010, the independent team presented its findings and recommen- dations to Terry Gou and senior executives from Foxconn and Apple. The team commended Foxconn for taking quick action on several fronts simultaneously, including hiring a large number of psychological counselors, establishing a 24-hour care center, and even attaching large nets to the factory buildings to prevent impulsive suicides.
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