The Taoyuan District Court in Taiwan issued a verdict on January 31, 2024 in the case of the tragic 2018 fire at CHIN POON's Ping-Cheng Plant, which resulted in the loss of lives of 6 firefighters and 2 employees. Chairman Huang Wei-Jin and 6 others were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 3 to 8 months in prison, with a probation period ranging from 2 to 3 years. The judgement revealed that these 6 individuals were found to have used flammable materials in the ductwork back in 2002 and had illegally constructed additional buildings in fire compartments, which ultimately led to the rapid spread of the fire across different areas.

Specific details:

When CHIN POON's Ping-Cheng Plant was built in 2002, Chairman Huang Wei-Jin and others were in charge of the construction of the ductwork exhaust system. However, they used flammable PP materials for the ductwork instead of fire-resistant materials, which compromised the effectiveness of the fire-resistant exterior walls. Additionally, they did not apply for a license change and illegally constructed buildings that connected the second and third factories, undermining the fire compartments.

Due to the volatile organic compounds produced by the printing ink applied in the tunnel-type ovens on the 5th floor, which became flammable after baking, some of the compounds rose into the hot exhaust ducts and condensed into liquid, remaining in the ducts. When the gas concentration became high, it could ignite upon encountering sparks, potentially causing a fire. Therefore, it was required to conduct at least one annual inspection, cleaning, and replacement of the interior walls of the hot exhaust ducts.

However, CHIN POON failed to comply with the regulations for inspection and cleaning since its establishment, leading to the incident on the evening of April 28, 2018. During the PCB board baking process, ink crumbs or foreign objects such as hair were generated in the tunnel-type pre-baking oven on the east side of the 5th floor. These objects were sucked into the circulating impeller above and blown towards the heater, instantly igniting upon contact with the nickel-chromium wire. The ignited substances were then expelled into the flammable hot exhaust ducts above the oven, causing smoldering. Subsequently, the flames rapidly spread through the ducts to different floors, resulting in the suffocation death of 6 firefighters and 2 Thai employees who failed to evacuate in time.

The judge considered the seriousness of the negligence committed by Chairman Huang Wei-Jin and the other 6 individuals, as their actions caused the fire and claimed 8 lives. However, all 6 defendants admitted their criminal behavior, reached settlements with the families of all the victims, and provided compensation. Furthermore, Chairman Huang Wei-Jin promptly donated tens of millions of New Taiwan Dollars to the firefighting hero fund and foreign workers. The other defendants also contributed to an environmental fund to improve the rehabilitation of the affected area. In addition, the judge took into account the personal financial health of the individuals and ultimately sentenced Chairman Huang Wei-Jin and 4 others to 6 to 8 months of imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years. The environmental engineering instructor, Mr. Liao, and 1 other individual were sentenced to 3 months in prison with a probation period of 2 years.

About CHIN POON

CHIN POON Industrial Co., Ltd. which is established on Sep.26,1979,specializes in manufacturing printed circuit boards. On the basis of quality driven, full range products, key technology adoption, and impressive customer service, in decades, CHIN POON creates stable growth and outstanding reputation in the market. Following our customers and electronics developing footprint, CHIN POON continues to invest talents and funds to improve manufacture technology, capability of management, and to the speed of response, which supports our customers to lead in the changing market.

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