Intel Contractor Sues Company Over Toxic Chemical Exposure
A contractor who worked inside Intel’s D1X factory in Hillsboro has sued the company, alleging he was injured by exposure to toxic chemicals in April 2022.
Ivan Higgs was working for Charter Construction, which contracted with for welding and other services inside D1X, Intel’s main research factory. The lawsuit alleges Higgs was exposed to chemicals used to service and clean equipment used inside the factory.
“After being exposed to the toxic materials and vapors plaintiff noted symptoms in his nose, lungs, and mouth that he describes as feeling like they were ‘on fire,’ the suit claims. Higgs said he completely lost his sense of smell and partially lost his sense of taste as a result of the exposure.
The suit, filed in Washington County Circuit Court, alleges Intel was negligent in not providing Higgs with protective gear. It says Intel should pay him $500,000 in noneconomic damages and nearly $50,000 more to cover his medical bills.
Intel declined to comment directly on pending litigation but in a statement said it is “committed to providing a safe workplace for our employees, contractors, customers, partners and the public.”
Intel is Oregon’s largest corporate employer, with more than 23,000 workers in Washington County. It makes its semiconductors inside a “cleanroom,” where workers wear white bunny suits to eliminate even microscopic contamination that could ruin the tiny features on the computer chips. The manufacturing process itself, though, uses heavy equipment and hazardous chemicals to make the chips.
