BackFire at iPhone-maker Pegatron's India facility linked to workers' failure to turn off switch: Report
The lapse at Pegatron factory, located in Chennai, cost two straight days of lost production. This is the company's only site for assembling Apple iPhones in India.
PremiumThe fire at Apple supplier Pegatron's India facility is linked to an alleged lapse on part of its workers, who failed to turn off an electric switch at the end of their shift, a report said on September 27, citing sources aware of the development.
The fire erupted on September 24 due to a short circuit, a day after the electric switch was left on at the end of the workers' shift, news agency Reuters learnt from two persons who have been reportedly briefed on the matter.
Production at the plant has resumed as of today, Pegatron said in a statement.
The lapse at Pegatron factory, located in Chennai, cost two straight days of lost production. This is the company's only site for assembling iPhones in India. The production resumed in a phased manner on September 27, government sources said.
While Pegatron is yet to issue a statement on the alleged failure on the part of its workers, the firm told the Taiwan stock exchange on September 26 that "a small switchboard experienced an accident" at the factory.
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The two persons who spoke to Reuters included a senior Tamil Nadu government source and another industry source, who detailed how the events unfolded on September 24.
After putting together about 70 iPhone parts, workers at the Pegatron plant usually charge the device batteries up to a level of 50% at a charging rack, before installing software, the state government source said.
However, a switch on one such rack was not turned off after the end of shifts on September 23, the source added, causing overheating and eventually a spark that set alight a foam sheet used to protect new mobile phones against scratches.
The next day was a holiday, with just a few maintenance workers on duty, but the "fire could have been nipped in the bud had there been more workers in the facility," the government source was quoted as saying.
One smartphone industry source with direct knowledge said the charging racks at the Pegatron plant are typically switched off after three Saturday shifts end early on Sundays.
Firemen scrambled to douse the flames in response to a call received at about 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, said fire official V. Veeraraghavan. Domestic TV images showed black smoke billowing from the facility.
The fire damaged some machines, said the government source and another source with direct knowledge, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The government official estimated six machines were damaged, but did not say what type they were.
In a statement on September 25, Pegatron said there were no injuries in the fire, which it described as a "spark incident" whose cause would be determined, while adding that it did not have significant impact on finances and operations.
About 8,000 people work on the assembly line at the Pegatron facility, which sprawls across 39,000 sq. m. (420,000 sq ft) in the city of Chengalpattu. It does not make the iPhone 15 but assembles older variants.
The plant turns out 5 million phones a year, according to a board placed outside it , which accounts for 10% of Apple's India production, with Foxconn facilities in south India making up a majority.
(With Reuters inputs)
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