Kaohsiung: One worker died and three others were injured on Tuesday after they inhaled a noxious gas during operations at a Chang Chun Plastics plant in Kaohsiung's Daliao Township. The Kaohsiung City Labor Affairs Bureau reported that the accident occurred in the Ta Fa Industrial Park when four workers, who were replacing activated carbon in a pipeline, began to experience respiratory difficulties.
According to Focus Taiwan, the four workers are believed to have accidentally inhaled an unknown noxious gas and were subsequently taken to an area hospital. One of the workers, a 69-year-old man surnamed Chen, later died from the incident. The other three workers-identified as a 61-year-old surnamed Shang, a 51-year-old surnamed Hsieh, and a 47-year-old surnamed Yu-remained conscious and were discharged from the hospital after their blood tests returned normal results.
Following the incident, local media disclosed that it had taken place at a Chang Chun Plastics plant. In response, the Kaohsiung City Labor Affairs Bureau ordered the facility to suspend operations and dispatched officials to conduct an inspection. The bureau stated it would await the results of Chen's autopsy to determine if the employer bears any legal responsibility.
If the employer is found to have violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act, they could face severe penalties. Under Article 40 of the law, an employer's failure to adhere to regulations designed to prevent machine, equipment, or tool-related hazards resulting in a worker's death is punishable by up to three years imprisonment, detention, and/or a fine of up to NT$300,000 (US$9,454).