OSHA investigating injury at Globalfoundries chip factory
MALTA— The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating an incident at Globalfoundries’ Fab 8 computer chip factory that occurred last week, which resulted in the employee being injured badly enough that they had to be brought to a hospital by ambulance.
Globalfoundries, which confirmed that it is working with OSHA, would not disclose the details of the incident or the employee’s specific injuries but said the employee is recovering.
“We can confirm an employee at our Malta facility had an injury on site, was taken to the hospital, and is under medical care where they are safe and with their family,” Globalfoundries spokeswoman Erica Mcgill wrote in a statement.
Edmund Fitzgerald, a spokesman for OSHA, said an investigation has been opened into the incident, but he could provide no other details.
“That’s all the information we have at this time,” Fitzgerald said.
OSHA has jurisdiction over worker conditions and safety programs at more than 7 million employers across the U.S. Companies must report all work-related employee inpatient hospitalizations to OSHA within 24 hours. OSHA can fine companies over certain incidents.
Officials with the town of Malta, as well the Malta Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., which originally responded to the incident before being called off, both said they had no details on the incident.
Globalfoundries makes computer chips at Fab 8 using a process that involves vast amounts of electricity, natural gas and chemicals that are used to make the chips on 12-inch silicon wafers.