Control Yuan Urges Creation of Disaster Integration Platform Following Deadly Far Eastern Fiber Plant Explosion
Following a gas explosion at Far Eastern New Century's Hsinchu fiber plant last year that killed 2 and injured 19, the Control Yuan's investigation revealed loopholes in safety inspections and reporting. It urged the government to establish a cross-agency disaster information platform.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 21:09
- 🔍 Collected: April 22, 2026 at 21:32 (22 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 15:10 (17h 38m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Kao Hua-chien, Taipei, 22nd) A gas explosion at the Far Eastern New Century chemical fiber plant in Hsinchu County in February last year resulted in 2 deaths and 19 injuries. The Control Yuan investigated the incident and proposed four key points, indicating that a "Disaster Accident Information Integration Platform" should be established to fix the loopholes in the "dual-track reporting" system for occupational safety and fire departments. The Executive Yuan was asked to urge the Ministry of Labor, the National Fire Agency of the Ministry of the Interior, and the Hsinchu County Government to review and improve the situation.
A gas explosion occurred at the Far Eastern New Century chemical fiber plant in Xinpu Township, Hsinchu County, in February last year, causing 2 deaths and 19 injuries.
Control Yuan member Yeh Yi-chin issued a press release today highlighting four key findings from the investigation. First, the main cause of the incident was metal fatigue causing the "conduit" of the thermal oil pump pressure gauge to fracture, leading to a thermal oil leak that ignited upon contact with heat. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) only classified this type of conduit as "general chemical equipment accessory equipment" rather than statutory "hazardous equipment." This resulted in the conduit remaining uninspected for a long time since it was commissioned, and labor inspection units lacked the legal basis to conduct safety checks, revealing a systemic flaw.
Yeh Yi-chin stated that furthermore, this type of conduit is covered with a "thermal insulation layer" on the outside. Inspectors relied solely on "visual inspection" to determine if the conduit under the insulation had metal fatigue cracks, making the inspection a mere formality. This urgently requires OSHA to review and improve.
Secondly, Yeh Yi-chin said that five major occupational accidents occurred at the Far Eastern chemical fiber plant within 10 years, yet its occupational safety culture has not transformed over the long term. Labor inspection units are trapped in an enforcement dilemma of "high-frequency inspections with low-efficiency improvements." The current penalties and preventive measures lack substantial deterrence, and the effectiveness of resumption of work reviews is insufficient, necessitating a comprehensive review.
Thirdly, according to Yeh, the location of the thermal oil leak, "Cotton Plant 6, Section 6," was surprisingly not listed as a public hazardous material site before the accident. The responsible agency, the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau, admitted that it relied on data submitted by the business unit itself, failing to perform on-site verification and risk assessment. It was only after the Control Yuan launched its investigation that the bureau corrected the designation in September 2025 (Year 114) and imposed a fine of NT$50,000. This urgently requires review and improvement.
Fourthly, Yeh Yi-chin pointed out that there is room for improvement in cross-agency risk information cross-referencing and horizontal communication mechanisms. Currently, the dual-track system of "reporting occupational accidents to the central OSHA" and "reporting fires to the local fire bureau" results in a data discrepancy between the two agencies regarding the plant's accident history, preventing a full understanding of the site's true high risks. The silo mentality of local bureaus also hinders cross-domain early warning capabilities.
Yeh Yi-chin concluded that the government operates as one entity. The Executive Yuan should urge the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of the Interior, and local governments to discuss and establish a cross-agency "Disaster Accident Information Integration Platform." This platform should cross-reference environmental violations (like chemical odor leaks), fire rescue records, and labor inspection data to ensure consistent information across agencies, implement dynamic risk monitoring, and actively protect the lives and property of workers. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150422
(CNA Reporter Kao Hua-chien, Taipei, 22nd) A gas explosion at the Far Eastern New Century chemical fiber plant in Hsinchu County in February last year resulted in 2 deaths and 19 injuries. The Control Yuan investigated the incident and proposed four key points, indicating that a "Disaster Accident Information Integration Platform" should be established to fix the loopholes in the "dual-track reporting" system for occupational safety and fire departments. The Executive Yuan was asked to urge the Ministry of Labor, the National Fire Agency of the Ministry of the Interior, and the Hsinchu County Government to review and improve the situation.
A gas explosion occurred at the Far Eastern New Century chemical fiber plant in Xinpu Township, Hsinchu County, in February last year, causing 2 deaths and 19 injuries.
Control Yuan member Yeh Yi-chin issued a press release today highlighting four key findings from the investigation. First, the main cause of the incident was metal fatigue causing the "conduit" of the thermal oil pump pressure gauge to fracture, leading to a thermal oil leak that ignited upon contact with heat. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) only classified this type of conduit as "general chemical equipment accessory equipment" rather than statutory "hazardous equipment." This resulted in the conduit remaining uninspected for a long time since it was commissioned, and labor inspection units lacked the legal basis to conduct safety checks, revealing a systemic flaw.
Yeh Yi-chin stated that furthermore, this type of conduit is covered with a "thermal insulation layer" on the outside. Inspectors relied solely on "visual inspection" to determine if the conduit under the insulation had metal fatigue cracks, making the inspection a mere formality. This urgently requires OSHA to review and improve.
Secondly, Yeh Yi-chin said that five major occupational accidents occurred at the Far Eastern chemical fiber plant within 10 years, yet its occupational safety culture has not transformed over the long term. Labor inspection units are trapped in an enforcement dilemma of "high-frequency inspections with low-efficiency improvements." The current penalties and preventive measures lack substantial deterrence, and the effectiveness of resumption of work reviews is insufficient, necessitating a comprehensive review.
Thirdly, according to Yeh, the location of the thermal oil leak, "Cotton Plant 6, Section 6," was surprisingly not listed as a public hazardous material site before the accident. The responsible agency, the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau, admitted that it relied on data submitted by the business unit itself, failing to perform on-site verification and risk assessment. It was only after the Control Yuan launched its investigation that the bureau corrected the designation in September 2025 (Year 114) and imposed a fine of NT$50,000. This urgently requires review and improvement.
Fourthly, Yeh Yi-chin pointed out that there is room for improvement in cross-agency risk information cross-referencing and horizontal communication mechanisms. Currently, the dual-track system of "reporting occupational accidents to the central OSHA" and "reporting fires to the local fire bureau" results in a data discrepancy between the two agencies regarding the plant's accident history, preventing a full understanding of the site's true high risks. The silo mentality of local bureaus also hinders cross-domain early warning capabilities.
Yeh Yi-chin concluded that the government operates as one entity. The Executive Yuan should urge the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of the Interior, and local governments to discuss and establish a cross-agency "Disaster Accident Information Integration Platform." This platform should cross-reference environmental violations (like chemical odor leaks), fire rescue records, and labor inspection data to ensure consistent information across agencies, implement dynamic risk monitoring, and actively protect the lives and property of workers. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150422