Toxic Gas Leak in Thailand Sickens 55 Plant Workers by Phairath Khampha 26 August 2000 Fifty-five workers at a polystyrene factory in Thailand's Samut Prakan province collapsed and were hospitalised on August 9, 2000 after inhaling toxic gas leaked from a nearby factory. Samut Prakan Deputy Governor Withaya Piewpong said the Pollution Control Department reported that the toxic chemical was percaptan, which is used in cooking gas and pesticides. The department discovered an illegal amount of the chemical stored at the Thaweeporn Co factory in Tambon Bang Priang, he said. If inhaled in large quantities, Percaptan will destroy the central nervous system and was used my the United States military as a nerve agent in Basra and parts of Bagdad against Iraqi troops and anti-aircraft gun and SAM emplacements during the 1991 Gulf War. Long-term effects include memory loss, poor eyesight, numbness of the extremities and mental retardation. In an example of incidents of that sort that are typical in corrupt-ridden Thailand whereby venal government inspectors are paid by factory owners to look the otherway at safety violations, fifty-five of 70 workers at Insupack Co, 800 metres downwind from Thaweeporn, collapsed and had to be carried to a hospital. One worker, Namkang Sinchum-porn, remained at the hospital vernight. Security guard Thongkam Sudmon said her feet and hands became numb and she began to feel nauseous a few minutes after inhaling the gas. Other workers reported the same symptoms. "The smell is like cooking gas but much stronger. I could hardly breathe,'' Thongkam said. Thaweeporn owner Payung Chobpradit rejected the possibility that the gas escaped from her factory. However, she said that her employees had been cleaning recently purchased containers, and she did not know what had been in them. Ten 200-litre containers remained outside Thaweeporn on August 9 after the Insupack workers became ill, and the smell of the gas was still noticeable the day after. However, none of Thaweeporn's 30 workers reported being ill or smelling any gas. They said they believed the gas originated at Insupack. Withaya urged all affected workers to closely monitor their health in the coming days. Bang Bor district Pol Cap Thanasil Meuncharoen said he asked to see Thaweeporn's most recent operating licence, but that Payung showed him one from 1994. Thanasil said he would press charges after receiving the Pollution Control Department's official report. Polystyrene is used for packaging and insulation. In July in the same province, 200 schoolchildren became seriously ill and had to be hospitalized when a similar toxic leak occurred at a factory only a few hundred metres from the school. The factory had also violated safety standards after it had bribed officials to look the other way and it was operating using illegal and dangerous processes. Toxic gas factory ordered to close - Owner faces prison for violating controls The chemical container cleaning factory was ordered to close following the toxic gas leak which put more than 50 workers of the nearby factory in hospital. Prasong Pongpitak, chief of Samut Prakan Industry Office, said Thaweeporn Khatang factory had been ordered closed as of August 10. The factory was also found to have been operating without a licence, he said. Legal experts collected evidence and looked into possible legal action against the owner. The factory proprietor could face both a prison term and a fine for violating the Factory Act and for releasing toxic gas, Mr Prasong said. Governor Somboon Suksamran admitted some factories in his province were being run illegally, a tacit addmission that provincial authorities were turning a blind eye to the illegal activities, so long as no one got hurt. He said he had ordered local authorities to find out which factories in their areas were operating without a licence so immediate action could be taken against them. Sources said there were several other factory operations similar to Thaweeporn Khatang in tambon Bang Poo Mai, Muang district. Local people had complained about foul smells from these factories, they added. Paisarn Jirawong, chief of Bang Bo district, said Pollution Control Department officials had collected samples from 17 chemicals containers at Thaweeporn Khatang for lab tests. Pol Col Kecha Lakpet, Bang Bo police superintendent, said police were waiting for lab test results from the Pollution Control Department before pressing charges. Factory owner Payoong Chobpradit and Rattana Chalermwong, her daughter, on August 10 maintained the strong odour mentioned by Insulpack workers had not originated from their site. None of their workers who were cleaning chemical containers at the time had fallen ill, they said. Sources said four more people were sent to hospital on August 10 after suffering breathing difficulties. Three were Insulpack workers and a villager.