Long working hours, low blood sugar and a strong odor caused 31 employees of the Aerosoft Summit Footwear factory in Battambang province to collapse at their workstations on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The faintings at the shoe factory in Sampov Loun district began at about 8:30 a.m., according to Hong Sokun, director of the provincial labor department.
“It was not so serious, but sometimes, when they see one or two faint, others follow,” he said, attributing the incident to low blood sugar levels among the affected workers—30 women and one man—coupled with insufficient sleep.
Voeung Bunreth, director of the provincial health department, said most of the workers were taken to a local clinic or the district referral hospital.
Mr. Bunreth said they had complained of nausea and dizziness in the moments before passing out, which he blamed on overwork and the strong smell of rubber, exacerbated by the hot weather.
Most of the workers had returned home to rest by mid-afternoon, he added.
“This case is simple,” he said. “It was not serious, and all is now OK.”
