A Thai factory worker died on Tuesday after a workplace incident, the Taichung Labor Affairs Bureau said yesterday, adding that the man’s employer would pay his family a sum equal to 45 months of his salary.
The man, whose name has not been released, was struck by a rotating shaft after he stuck his head inside a stirring furnace to investigate a noise.
He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital.
The owner of the cast iron factory would base the compensation on the man’s average salary over the past six months, Taichung Labor Inspection Office section head Yu Chih-jen (游志仁) said.
The man’s beneficiaries were also eligible for payouts from Taiwan’s labor insurance program, Yu said.
His mother was notified on Tuesday, but due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, family members cannot come to Taiwan, a Thailand Trade and Economic Office (TTEO) official said.
The TTEO has requested a letter of authorization from the family so the man’s labor broker can make the necessary arrangements for a cremation or funeral, the official said.
“However, responsibility for the accident still needs to be determined and we [the TTEO] will assist the victim’s family in negotiating with his employer,” he said.
The TTEO has also asked Taiwan’s central and local labor departments to step up safety inspections to ensure the safety of other migrant workers, he said.
“Thai migrant workers are usually involved in more difficult and dangerous jobs, and the incident was very unfortunate,” he added.
The cast iron factory employs 31 migrant workers, including 13 Thais.
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