An industrial accident was reported on Wednesday (April 22) evening in a plant of Taiwan VCM Corporation (TVCM) in the Kaohsiung Linyuan Industrial Zone, according to a report by the state news agency CNA. The Kaohsiung Fire Department, which received a report at 5:10 PM local time, sent eight fire vehicles to the rescue.
As SSESSMENTS.COM noted, the accident occurred during a repair of ethylene dichloride (EDC) pump in the storage tank area. The residual gas in the pipeline leaked out and was inhaled by ten workers. One of the workers died on Thursday after being sent to the intensive care unit for emergency treatment due to severe chemical burns and inhalation choking injuries. Two men were in a coma, but their condition was stable, while the rest were discharged one after another.
The Labor Inspection Office of Kaohsiung City said that it would conduct a major occupational accident inspection and report it to Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor. If the company is proven to have violated relevant workplace regulations, the case will be transferred to the law office in accordance with the occupational safety law.
The Environmental Protection Bureau of Kaohsiung City also sent investigators to inspect and monitor the surrounding areas of the factory. The initial report showed no hazardous chemicals polluting the surrounding environment. TVCM is required to submit an accident investigation report.
As SSESSMENTS.COM noted, TVCM’s Linyuan plant can produce up to 450,000 tons/year of VCM. Its main customers include Ocean Plastics Corporation, CGPC Polymer Corporation, and its parent organization, China General Plastics Corporation.
