Top Glove worker's hand chopped off in factory mishap

 

A worker lost his hand in a workplace accident at Top Glove's Ipoh factory.

The migrant worker's hand was chopped off at the wrist on Thursday, the Penang division of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) said.

"From the scant information that we have received, the worker's hand was caught in the rotating shafts of the glove washing brush tank of the company, resulting in his wrist being severed.

"Given the severity of the case, we are of the view that it is incumbent upon the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Dosh), to undertake a thorough investigation into the said incident," MTUC Penang secretary K Veeriah said.

In a statement late last night, Veeriah said he wanted to know if the rubber glove company had abdicated in its fiduciary duty of care in complying with safety standards.

He said safeguards such as sensory isolation switch systems should have been in place to avoid such accidents and an investigation should be done to check if this was not the case.

"It is our view that if there had been a functioning sensory isolation switch system in place, the loss of the limb could have been avoided," Veeriah said.

K Veeriah

Confirming the 5.45am incident, Top Glove said the worker was sent to the hospital without delay and was in stable condition.

"In compliance with Top Glove’s Occupational Safety and Health policy, the company is moving quickly towards establishing stringent and added remedial measures to continue promoting the well-being of its workers and making sure its workers are kept safe from harm and injury.

"Top Glove assures its stakeholders and the public that the continued safety and welfare of its workers is its utmost priority," it said.

The public-listed firm runs 46 factories in Malaysia, Thailand and China, and employs 21,000 employees.

It is currently facing a sanction from the US Customs over allegations of forced labour.

This is related to fees paid by migrant workers to recruitment agents, which is seen to lead to debt bondage and is a marker of forced labour.

Top Glove has committed to refunding up to RM160 million of those "recruitment" fees to workers, in hopes the US will lift the import ban on its products.

It posted a record quarterly net profit of RM1.29 billion in August, a whopping 18 times more than the same quarter last year, due to a surge of global demand in rubber gloves in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. - Mkini