Chip Industry to Probe Workers’ Cancer Rates

The U.S. semiconductor industry, facing allegations that companies knowingly exposed workers to dangerous chemicals, will investigate the cancer rates of chip industry employees, its trade group said.

The Semiconductor Industry Assn. said it made the decision on the recommendation of researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

Employee lawsuits against National Semiconductor Corp. and IBM Corp. portray the chip industry as rife with chemical safety hazards that the companies overlook in the pursuit of profits.

Both companies dispute the allegations.