Fainting cases of Cambodian garment workers rise in 2017

09 Feb '18

1 min read

More than 1,600 workers fainted in 22 factories in 2017 in Cambodia, an increase of more than 400 from the previous year, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) under the country’s labour ministry reported. Out of the 1,603 workers who fainted, 1,599 were women, NSSF said in a Facebook post. In 2016, 1,160 workers had fainted at 18 factories.

The fainting trend began from the health problem of one or two workers, which led other workers to panic and faint, NSSF said. The cause included chemical problems, psychosocial problems, poor ventilation, blocked air flow, mechanical problems, irregular consumption of food and overwork, according to a report in a Cambodian newspaper.

In addition, goods inside the factory must be stored in a manner not blocking ventilation, thermostats must be installed, infirmaries and emergency facilities must be prepared, and steam systems must be up to code, said NSSF.

Cambodian labour minister Ith Samheng in January issued guidelines to owners of garment and footwear units to prevent workers from fainting in workplace. The 11 guidelines included operating ventilation fans an hour before workers arrive, installing thermostats, and maintaining fire protection systems and adequately trained boiler operators. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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