TSMC—TSMC's Chiayi advanced packaging plant had 4 safety incidents in 2 months in 2025, including 2 worker deaths; contractors indicted for negligent homicide
Taiwan's Chiayi District Prosecutors Office indicted 7 contractor personnel for negligent homicide in September 2026 over a July 16, 2025 accident in which a 383kg water supply pipe fell from height and killed a cleaning worker at TSMC's Chiayi advanced packaging facility, after support brackets installed days earlier were found to be improperly anchored and workers were given only incomplete, incorrect verbal instructions instead of proper training. It was the fourth workplace safety incident at the facility within roughly two months: a May 20, 2025 scaffolding fall caused severe injury, a worker was struck by a forklift, and a May 26, 2025 incident in which a falling transformer during relocation killed a 29-year-old construction worker (separately prosecuted). TSMC's own supplier sustainability standards require safe working conditions and proper safety training, which multiple Taiwanese outlets reported were not followed by on-site contractors.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supply Chain Ethics | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Worker Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.429 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.57)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (1 signal)
Taiwan prosecutors indict 7 contractors for negligent homicide after fatal pipe collapse at TSMC Chiayi plant
Chiayi District Prosecutors indicted 7 contractor personnel for negligent homicide over a July 16, 2025 accident in which a 383kg water pipe fell and killed a cleaning worker at TSMC's Chiayi advanced packaging facility due to improperly installed support brackets and inadequate worker training.