Fatal Accident Halts Work at TSMC Fab 22 P4

A fatal workplace accident occurred on Oct. 20, 2026, at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM)’s Fab 22 P4 construction site in the Nanzi district of Kaohsiung. The incident took place during a steel-structure hoisting and installation operation, when workers and a large steel component fell from height.

Preliminary accounts from the site indicate that bolts on an outer connecting plate attached to a third-floor steel structure may have failed. This suspected structural failure is believed to have precipitated the fall of both personnel and steel components during the lifting work.

Immediately after the accident, emergency responders transported four injured workers to nearby hospitals. Initial reports stated that three workers were pronounced dead and a fourth was in critical condition in intensive care.

Later updates confirmed that the critically injured worker died in hospital, bringing the total death toll from the incident to four. The accident has drawn scrutiny to construction practices and safety controls at the advanced semiconductor facility project.

TSMC stated that the worksite where the accident occurred falls within the scope of its contractor’s responsibilities. In the wake of the incident, the company said that related construction activities at the affected zone of the P4 project have been voluntarily suspended.

The company also indicated that its on-site safety team is cooperating with official investigations. This includes assisting the contractor involved in the project and coordinating with relevant authorities as they inspect the scene and review procedures.

By suspending the associated steel-structure operations, TSMC aims to allow investigators unobstructed access to the site. The pause also enables a review of construction methods and safety measures tied to similar lifting work within the project area.

The Southern Taiwan Science Park Bureau, which oversees the area where Fab 22 is located, has ordered an immediate halt to P4 steel-beam and steel-structure lifting operations. Officials preserved the accident scene to secure physical evidence related to the suspected bolt or connecting-plate failure.

The bureau dispatched labor-inspection personnel to the site to carry out a formal investigation. Inspectors are tasked with clarifying the technical and procedural causes of the accident and assessing whether relevant occupational-safety regulations were followed.

Authorities have stated that, once the causes are fully established, they will consider administrative or legal penalties under occupational-safety statutes. Determinations of liability and any sanctions are still pending as the investigative work proceeds.