The Filipino community on Saturday called for factories in Taiwan to provide safer environments for its workers after a Filipina died because of a chemical spill this week.
The woman, identified by local Chinese-language media as Deserie Castro Tagubasi, 29, died on Wednesday at Taipei Veterans General Hospital after suffering chemical burns when a container of a mixture containing hydrofluoric acid fell and splattered against her legs.
Tagubasi was working at an electronics plant in Miaoli County’s Chunan Science Park (竹南科學園區) operated by LED maker Tyntek Corp, local media reported.
Photo: Lee Ya-wen, Taipei Times
Fidel A. Macauyag, labor attache and director of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Taichung, said that he has faith in Taiwanese investigators, and would follow up on their progress after Tagubasi’s body has been returned to the Philippines.
He would coordinate with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, he said.
Macauyag said he hopes that an in-depth investigation will be carried out by the police and labor authorities to avoid a repeat of the accident.
“The government can implement regulations to prevent similar accidents,” he said. “I hope that something can be done to properly protect not only foreign, but local workers.”
If the employer is found to be guilty due to negligence then they should be held liable, Macauyag added.
While the incident might be considered an isolated case, he said that he talked with some of Tagubasi’s coworkers and there are still questions to be asked regarding safety at the company.
“Apparently, very corrosive chemicals are used to clean metals and electronic parts, while the workers are only provided with an apron as protective gear, which covers only the front of the body from the upper chest to the knees,” Macauyag said.
“This is not enough. I think that if a person is working with these chemicals, they should be fully protected and neutralizing agents should be readily available on the premises in case of accidents,” he said.
According to the workers who gave Tagubasi first aid, there was no chemical readily available to neutralize the effects of the corrosive acid, he said.
A former employee of the company, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed what Macauyag said.
“We only wore a lab gown type of clothing, which covered to just below the knee. When we handled chemicals we just added an apron, two thick facial masks, headgear and optional goggles,” she said.
The company also failed to provide foreign workers with proper safety training, such as first aid or formal training about what to do in the event of an emergency, she said.
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
A much-anticipated Keelung-Ishigaki Island passenger-cargo shipping route is scheduled to set off on its inaugural voyage at the end of this year, the route operator said. The route, which would be jointly administered by Taiwanese and Japanese operators, generated much discussion when it was first announced last month. The operators plan to offer three round-trip services per week in the initial stage. The service was scheduled to launch in September, but it was postponed until the end of this month due to issues with the ship’s interior design and paperwork. Trans Wagon International Co, which serves as the agent of the shipping service
RSS