A fire and subsequent explosions at Launch Technologies Co’s (明揚國際) golf ball factory at Pingtung Technology Industrial Park (屏東科技產業園區) on Friday killed at least nine people, prompting questions over how such a catastrophe could have occurred.
Despite how near Pingtung is to Kaohsiung, the industries of these two places are drastically different. Kaohsiung is an industrial hub, whereas Pingtung relies on agriculture.
Although Pingtung might be less polluted, it also has fewer job opportunities. The Pingtung County Government, with support from the central government, has arranged a series of measures to revitalize local industries, including the establishment of low polluting industrial parks with high technology and agriculture firms. Since the opening of the parks, the factories inside have been monitored in accordance to strict regulations. No corporation should cause safety problems or environmental damage.
Pingtung Technology Industrial Park is conveniently located near Kaoping Bridge (高屏大橋). The factories in the park are supposed to be low-polluting ones, as essentially any factory not listed on the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ “low-pollution industries list” can be defined as such.
Launch Technologies Co’s plant is not on the ministry’s list, as the materials it uses to manufacture golf balls are not hazardous. Nearby residents had never protested against the factory, nor was it difficult for the corporation to hire workers. It is indeed surprising that such a disaster could have happened.
While the cause of the fire is under investigation, initial findings suggest it was triggered by a leak of volatile chemicals. Some chemicals can be categorized as stable, but once exposed to vibrations or contact with light or elements such as water, a chemical reaction can result, which can be exothermic and even lead to an explosion.
When trying to extinguish a fire, the cause of the blaze must be understood to determine which method should be used, such as dry powder extinguishers or water.
In addition to chemical factors, attention should be given to physical ones. Nanoparticles can create such physical factors. In a confined space, if the concentration of some small particles reaches its maximum, a dust explosion can occur. A similar explosion once happened in a Japanese rice barn. Another example is the 2015 explosion and fire during a party at Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) water park, which kill 15 people and injured nearly 500.
When using chemicals, all corporations should refer to material safety data sheets. The documents lay out each substance’s chemical and physical properties, and toxicity, as well as proper storage and management procedures. Factories should follow these guidelines, while local fire service agencies should also understand such information. Only in doing so can the correct measures be implemented when a catastrophe occurs.
Meanwhile, people should not rely on the authorities to revise the laws and unnecessarily regulate matters after each incident, as that can inconvenience industries. Corporations and factories should be able to manage themselves, and people in the industry typically know much more about the raw materials and substances they use than government officials. The companies should take the responsibility to educate and train their employees to understand the characteristics of the materials they use. After all, it is a corporation’s fundamental duty to protect the safety of its employees.
Chen Wen-ching works in environmental services.
Translated by Emma Liu
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