Killer Jeans

"The Italian fashion house Gianni Versace has committed to ban the dangerous practice of sandblasting jeans, a technique used to give jeans a used look which is highly dangerous to workers.

The news follows a two-month international campaign by the Clean Clothes Campaign on Change.org, the world’s fastest-growing social action platform. More than 1,200 people from all over the world joined the campaign.
Sandblasting is a process by which workers fire sand under high pressure at jeans. It has been known to kill workers in garment producing countries like Turkey and Bangladesh, where jean sandblasting is done manually.

The large amounts of silica dust generated during sandblasting can cause silicosis, a potentially lethal pulmonary disease, as workers inhale tiny particles of silica. Following pressure from over 1,200 activists, Versace conducted a review of its clothing suppliers and announced that, effective immediately, suppliers would be banned from using sandblasting.

Versace joins Gucci, H&M and C&A in taking a stance against sandblasting and encouraging other jean producers to do the same.  The Clean Clothes Campaign has now set its sights on the high-end brands Dolce & Gabbana and Armani, both of which still refuse to engage in dialogue about their brands’ sandblasting practices." -Versace PR