SHENZHEN – A Fair Labor Association audit of Foxconn has determined the firm to have excessive working hours and health and safety issues, according to published reports.

The association surveyed 35,500 workers who make iPods and iPhones for Apple at three Foxconn facilities in Shenzhen and Chengdu.

The association’s report found at least 50 legal or code violations or policy gaps.

All three factories exceeded the FLA code (and Apple’s code) of a standard 60-hour work week in the last 12 months. During several of those months, the majority of workers exceeded China's legal maximum of 36 overtime hours per month; the current average hours of overtime are 80 hours per month, say reports.

Foxconn reportedly has agreed to bring its China factories within legal limits by July 2013. FLA said Foxconn would need to recruit tens of thousands of extra workers to comply, according to media outlets.

Apple said it fully supports FLA's recommendations.

This is reportedly one of the most detailed China labor investigations in history.

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