Health and Safety

Public health, workplace, and public safety

Man survives being choked by 105 kg barbell in horror accident at Taiwanese gym

barbell pressed on man's neck
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

A man was rescued by fellow gym members, and survived without serious injury, after being trapped with a barbell on his neck at a gym in Taoyuan City earlier this month. According to Apple Daily, a video of the incident went viral on Japanese social media sites in the last few days, and some writers mistakenly reported that the man had died. Holger Chen, owner of G.K. Fitness Centers confirmed that the incident occurred in the Zhongli branch of his

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Toxic pesticide found in blood samples after 3 die, 12 sickened in aboriginal village

traditional millet dumpling
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Toxicologists identified highly toxic pesticide in blood samples of eight victims of a food poisoning case that resulted in three deaths and another eight people hospitalized in Taitung County, Wednesday. According to reports, 12 people in Binmao Village, Jinfeng Township, were sickened after consuming traditional millet dumplings Wednesday night. According to the investigation so far, the poisoning case began after an 83-year-old woman, named Tseng, prepared the dumplings, which included snails collected from a nearby rice paddy. Tseng became sick

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Hiker dies after Asian giant hornet attack on mountain trail in southeastern Taiwan

Firefighters rescue hiker after hornet attack
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A hiking guide died in hospital after being stung more than 50 times as he attempted to protect a group of 20 students from a swarm of Asian giant hornets on a trail in Taitung County, yesterday, August 22. According to reports, the hiking group were traversing the Jinshuiying Ancient Trail from Pingtung County to Taitung County when they were attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) around 2.5 kilometers from the trail exit in Dawu Township

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14 workers injured, 3 critically, after carbon dioxide leak at wind power project in central Taiwan

Carbon dioxide leak at wind power plant
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Fourteen workers were sent to hospital, including three who lost vital signs at the scene of the accident, at a wind power project in Changhua County this morning, Tuesday, August 20. Changhua County Fire Department dispatched two fire trucks, seven ambulances, and 18 personnel, after receiving reports of multiple injuries due to a suspected carbon dioxide leak at the Hailong Offshore Wind Power Land Step-down Station in Lukang Township at around 10:00 am. A total of 14 workers, all of

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Vaccine injury program awards NT$1.5 million payout over death of elderly woman

covid-19 vaccines
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Taiwan’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) awarded compensation of NT$1.5 million to the family of a 90-year-old woman who died 5 minutes after being injected with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. According to the VICP review information, the elderly woman was a long-term resident of a care institution with a medical history of multiple chronic diseases, including asthma, hypertensive heart disease, and diabetes. In July, 2022, the woman was injected with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Within five minutes of injection, the

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Indian-American student drowns while swimming at beach in southern Taiwan

rescuers pull man out of water at beach
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , , ,

An Indian-American man studying at Taiwan’s Tsinghua University was declared dead at the hospital after a drowning incident at a popular tourist beach in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County, yesterday, June 24. Pingtung County Fire Department said they received a report that two people had been swept away by a rip current near Sail Rock in Kenting National Park in Hengchun Township at around 1:10 pm. When firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene, two people had already been plucked out

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New Taipei City celebrates Mother’s Day with free COVID vaccines and gifts

covid-19 mother's day vaccine propaganda
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The New Taipei City Department of Health is offering free gifts for women who get vaccinated for COVID from today, May 10, until the end of the month, it was announced today. The Department of Health said that all females who get vaccinated at community health clinics and vaccination stations in New Taipei City can receive special Mother’s Day gifts which include an electronic thermometer and dishwashing detergent. The number of gifts is limited and will only be available while

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The Pandemic is not over! Free COVID-19 tests available nationwide

COVID-19 antigen tests
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment

Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced today that free COVID-19 rapid screening tests will be available at pharmacies nationwide, and you don’t even have to show a health insurance card or ID to get the test kits. The CDC said that while the COVID-19 pandemic has passed its peak, there were still 195 new cases last week. and 15 deaths. CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said that the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Centers for Disease Control recommend continuous monitoring and

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Taiwan’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program comes under fire: treating human life as a trifling matter

legislators, lawyers, vaccine injury victims at press conference
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Taiwan’s Department of Health and Welfare Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) came under fire today at a press conference where it was accused of treating human life as “a trifling matter.” Legislators Chao-Tzu Chen (陳昭姿) of the Taiwan People’s Party, and Sean Liao (廖偉翔) of the Kuomintang held the press conference, pointing out that a recent judgement by the Taipei High Administrative Court showed that the VICP lacked transparency in procedures and suffered irregularities in the review process. Chao and

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Couple missing on Taiwan’s highest mountain found dead after 6-day search and rescue operation

searcher in Taiwan's Central mountain range
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The bodies of a couple who went missing while hiking on Yushan (Mount Jade) 9 days ago were found at the bottom of a slope below the south peak this morning, Tuesday, March 12. Zhang Zhongyi and his wife Wang Mingli, both 55 years old, were last seen at the Yuanfeng Cabin when they left to climb the south peak on the morning of March 3. Other mountain climbers reported them missing on March 5 after they did not return

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Baby boy suspected of suffocating to death after daycare center forces him to wear facemask

pictures of baby who died of suspected suffocation
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Police are investigating the death of an eleven-month-old boy who is suspected to have suffocated to death after being forced to wear a facemask against his will at a childcare center in New Taipei City, Monday. “Tonight, a cute baby returned to heaven to be an angel. I feel extremely heavy-hearted,” CTS news anchor Lin Yen-ju (林彥汝) posted on Facebook last night, Tuesday, after receiving the news from a personal friend, who is also the boy’s maternal aunt. According to

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