TAIPEI (TVBS News) — New Taipei City's Labor Inspection Office (新北市勞檢處), Taiwan's municipal workplace safety authority, has launched a groundbreaking subsidy program encouraging employers to purchase air-conditioned clothing for outdoor workers. These innovative garments can reduce body surface temperature by approximately 4 degrees Celsius (7.2°F), providing crucial protection against dangerous heat-related illnesses during Taiwan's increasingly intense summer months. The initiative represents a significant expansion of workplace safety measures as climate change intensifies heat exposure risks for laborers.
The Labor Inspection Office outlined the expansion in a comprehensive press release Friday (Aug. 22), explaining that since 2014 it has maintained a subsidy program helping micro-enterprises and self-employed individuals upgrade safety and health equipment. The long-standing initiative seeks to raise workplace hazard awareness while enhancing overall safety standards across New Taipei City's diverse industries. Traditional subsidies previously focused on manufacturing protective equipment, including guards preventing cutting and rolling hazards, but escalating summer temperatures have dramatically increased heat illness risks for outdoor workers lacking adequate cooling protection.
The Labor Inspection Office will immediately include air-conditioned clothing in its comprehensive subsidy program, specifically targeting improved working conditions for outdoor laborers during Taiwan's sweltering summer months. Employers across New Taipei City can now receive substantial financial assistance to purchase these specialized heat protection garments for their workforce. Eligible applicants include enterprises or self-employed individuals maintaining 50 or fewer employees who have legally obtained factory, company, or commercial business registration through Taiwan's regulatory framework.
The generous subsidy program covers 50% of purchase costs for general enterprises and 80% for self-employed individuals, with a maximum funding limit of NT$30,000 (around US$981). Climate change continues driving summer temperatures higher across Taiwan's subtropical landscape, making adaptive heat-related safety measures increasingly crucial for protecting outdoor workers from potentially life-threatening heat exposure. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$30.576)
