FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Workers worry about jobs after rubber-glove factory fire

Workers worry about jobs after rubber-glove factory fire

Trang Governor Siripat Patkul on Tuesday instructed labour protection and welfare officials to provide aid to workers at the country’s largest rubber-glove-manufacturing factory whose jobs may be in danger after a fire that began on Sunday morning.

The factory has suspended its operations, and some workers are worried that they would not have jobs to go back to when work resumes, said Siripat.
However, he added: “The factory bosses say they won’t abandon workers and want to resume operations as soon as possible.”
Siripat said the temporary closure was pending a building structure safety inspection by a Trang civil engineer and related agencies.
Firefighters had kept the smoldering fire within a limited area and should extinguish it entirely later on Tuesday, Siripat said.
After this, the fire crew will clear the factory of debris and ashes, and Trang Public Health Office and Kantang medical staff will provide health check-ups to nearby residents and workers. Police, who have already interviewed some witnesses, would also inspect the scene to determine the cause of fire, Siripat said.
The fire at the Thai Kong Co factory in Kantang district, which had reported investment capital of Bt1.8 billion and employed nearly 2,000 workers, prompted Siripat on Monday to declare 41 villages in seven tambons of Kantang district disaster zones. There were concerns that smoke and chemical particles might cause health problems for villagers and workers.
Dozens of people claimed to feel unwell after the fire, but Siripat said less than 10 had so far been diagnosed with respiratory irritation and dizziness.
However, the authorities would not ignore the possible health impacts, as toxins could might not show symptoms until days after exposure. Kantang Hospital medical staff would check residents in the area over two weeks, he said.
With the factory’s storage building destroyed in the fire, Siripat said the initial estimate of the loss was Bt100 million. However, after talking with factory executives, indications were that the cost would be more than Bt100 million but less than Bt500 million.

RELATED
nationthailand