iPad and the Global Workplace

Two topics that I don't write about a lot, globalism and workplace safety, are merged in a Technomix Fast Company post written by Kit Eaton, Is Pressure at iPad Maker Foxconn Behind Four Recent Suicide Tries?

Because China based Foxconn is the maker of some of the principal parts of the newly released Apple iPad, the quick and easy conclusion is that there must be a link between the build up related to its highly anticipated release and the four attempted suicides.

But as is frequently the case quick conclusions are not always founded on good information. Eaton didn't go there automatically and the information about the personal nature of some of the problems and the fact that suicide is more common in China than in other countries provides a more rounded view.

On a more general note, one statement in particular caught my attention:

Statistical random clustering is also a surprising phenomenon that occurs more frequently than "common sense" thinking would suggest.

There's no attribution for the comment but it does pique one's curiosity and is another reminder that caution in drawing conclusions from "the obvious," is often wise.