Foreigners 2-3 times more likely to suffer work accidents: NGO

Taipei, Oct. 6 (CNA) Foreigners in Taiwan are two to three times more likely to suffer accidents at work than their Taiwanese counterparts, according to a nongovernmental organization (NGO) pressing employers to bear greater responsibility for workplace safety.

In a news release Sunday, the Taiwan Global Workers' Association called on employers to ensure employees receive professional training and obtain the necessary qualifications before being asked to operate heavy machinery.

The association highlighted statistics released by the Control Yuan showing that occupational accidents leading to disability among foreign workers in Taiwan were two to three times more likely compared with Taiwanese workers.

Accidents were particularly prevalent among foreign workers employed by small-to-medium-sized enterprises, the association said, citing the Control Yuan's data.

According to the NGO, the law in Taiwan requires workers to hold licenses when operating heavy-duty equipment such as aerial work platforms and forklifts. However, employers often ask unlicensed foreign workers to operate these machines, which can result in workplace accidents, it said.

The association reminded employers that demanding uncertified workers operate heavy machinery not only endangers the workers but also can lead to employers receiving "heavy fines" for violating safety standards.

To raise awareness of the higher accident rate among Indonesian foreign workers in Taiwan, the association said it had launched a safety training program using virtual reality (VR) technology in conjunction with the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to Taipei.

According to statistics released by the Ministry of Labor (MOL) in 2023, there were 737,093 "migrant workers" in Taiwan in May of that year, accounting for around 4 percent of the country's total workforce.

In addition, there were 46,327 "foreign professional personnel" in the country, accounting for around 0.4 percent of the total workforce, the MOL data showed.