Heat and poor ventilation blamed for mass fainting

Hot weather and poor working conditions caused mass fainting among factory workers in a bag production facility in Takeo province, according to officials.

Deputy provincial governor Ly Saveth told The Post that upon discovery at midday, workers at Hathor International (Cambodia) in Chom Pol village were assisted by a team of people including the medical team of the Ang Roka Referral Hospital, the provincial National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and local authorities.

The 81 workers who had fainted were sent to Ang Roka Referral Hospital for treatment.

Saveth said that in his visit to the factory after the incident, palettes of finished products were found to be blocking the entrance of the building, causing a disruption in air circulation and hot air to be trapped in the middle of the facility – the likely cause of the mass fainting spell.

Several fans were also found to be damaged.

“This is preliminary information that is being investigated by the factory and we are asking for more information and inspections,” he said.

Nonetheless, he cited the early summer weather this year as causing additional problems for factory workers.

“Usually we start the inspection in late February or early March because every year, most of the workers faint in March, April and May, which are the hot months,” he said.

Ath Thorn, president of the Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union, suggested that the problem of workers fainting is recurring as a direct result of factory owners’ negligence.

“It could be because our inspectors are lax, while some companies and factories do not follow the law, which neglects workers and downplays risks,” he said.

Thorn urged professional institutions to strengthen and step up their inspections of factories. — The Phnom Penh Post/ANN