Construction work on Hai Long wind farm halted after CO2 leak injures 17 people

Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) — Work at the onshore construction site of the Hai Long wind farm in Changhua county has been suspended following a carbon dioxide (CO2) leak that injured 17 workers, site contractor Teco Electrics & Machinery Co. said Wednesday.

According to a statement from Teco, a safety investigation and an assessment of the financial damage are currently underway after the leak occurred on Tuesday when workers were filling 200 cylinders with CO2.

Of the injured, seven are still in hospital – four are being treated and three are under observation – while the other ten have already been discharged, the company said.

Three of the hospitalized workers remain in critical condition; their coma scale score is 3, indicating severe brain injury, Changhua county government said.

Teco said the cause of the incident was suspected to be improper operation and installation of the high-pressure cylinders by on-site personnel, which led to the gas leak.

The potential loss or impact is currently being assessed and the amount of insurance claims has yet to be determined, it said.

The Ministry of Labor announced on Tuesday that a fine of NT$300,000 (US$9,383) will be imposed for inadequate health and safety measures in the workplace.

A preliminary inspection revealed that no measures were in place to prevent gas leaks and that the equipment was not clearly labelled.

To improve operations in the future, Teco announced that the company will install safety equipment for workers in accordance with standard safety procedures.

In addition, leak protection devices and safety measures will be installed in the high-pressure cylinder room, retraining and training for workers will be provided and self-inspections will be carried out, the company said.

In addition, Teco announced that it would deploy on-site monitoring personnel and supervisors to improve operational control.

The Changhua County Government also issued a statement announcing that it would dispatch disaster response experts to assist affected workers in claiming compensation from their employers and provide them with legal advice.