TSMC Kaohsiung Plant Construction Halted After Accident Kills Three, Injures One

In recent years, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has continued to expand domestic factory construction investments in response to global supply chain restructuring and the deployment of advanced manufacturing processes. However, as construction schedules are accelerated, workplace safety and operational risks at the grassroots level have once again drawn significant public attention. A severe industrial accident resulting in three fatalities and one injury occurred today at the construction site of the F22 plant, a project being actively advanced by TSMC in the Nantzu Park of the Kaohsiung Science Park in southern Taiwan. This incident has not only disrupted the construction pace within the park but has also prompted regulatory authorities and the industry to re-examine the potential dangers associated with high-risk hoisting and steel structure installation in large-scale factory construction projects.

Preliminary investigations and on-site reports from the Southern Science Park Administration (SSPA) indicate that four workers were performing high-altitude steel structure hoisting and installation tasks inside the factory or on related structural elements at the time of the incident. During the operation, a suspected fracture in the connecting plate bolts between steel structures caused the entire structure to become unstable instantaneously, resulting in the four workers falling from a height. The sudden fall caused severe injuries; three of the workers suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead either before or after receiving emergency medical care, while the fourth was hospitalized for treatment. Following the accident, the SSPA and relevant units of the Ministry of Labor immediately intervened to clarify the specific operational procedures and the condition of the mechanical equipment at the time of the incident.

In response to this tragic industrial accident, the SSPA took necessary administrative actions and safety control measures immediately. The regulatory authority stated that to prevent similar accidents from recurring and to ensure the safety of the on-site environment, a comprehensive work stoppage order has been issued for the steel structure hoisting and installation operations involved in the incident. The construction team and the contractor must conduct a full review of workplace safety facilities, determine the cause of the bolt fracture, submit a complete safety improvement plan, and pass the review by the regulatory authority before work in that area can resume. This action underscores the government’s commitment to the principle of "safety first, life supreme" in construction projects and serves as a warning to all contractors involved in large-scale engineering works.

A closer examination of the construction of such large-scale high-tech factories reveals that their complexity and scale of mobilization are often significantly higher than those of general buildings. Semiconductor factories feature complex internal cleanroom equipment and intricate piping systems, and have extremely high requirements for structural load-bearing capacity and vibration suppression, typically necessitating the use of extensive heavy steel structures and precision hoisting techniques. Steel structure hoisting operations are inherently high-risk items in the construction industry. Workers not only perform precise assembly in high-altitude environments but also rely on the close coordination of various cranes, fixed bolts, and temporary supports. Any minor defect or stress concentration in any component—from the material strength of bolts and tightening torque to the load-bearing capacity of hoisting rigging—can escalate into an irreversible tragedy under the pressure of high-intensity, tight construction schedules.

This industrial accident serves as a sobering warning for TSMC, the contractor, and the construction industry as a whole. With multiple high-tech factory projects under construction simultaneously across the country, labor shortages and the pressure to meet deadlines have long existed in the construction market. How to ensure that projects proceed on schedule while strictly implementing every safety standard and inspection procedure is a severe challenge currently facing both the industry and the government. In the future, labor inspection agencies are expected to expand the intensity of their inspections on labor conditions and workplace safety protections in new high-tech factory construction projects. Meanwhile, the industry must re-examine the safety evaluation mechanisms for contractors within supply chain management to fundamentally prevent risks associated with high-altitude work and structural installation, thereby safeguarding the lives of all grassroots workers.

(Source: Central News Agency)