In a concerning incident at Tesla’s Giga Texas factory near Austin, a malfunctioning robot reportedly attacked an engineer, adding to worries about workplace safety and the risks associated with automation. The incident occurred on November 10, 2021, on the factory floor where vehicle chassis is assembled. Witnesses said the robot, designed to move freshly cast aluminum car parts, pinned the Tesla engineer who was programming software for other robots. The engineer suffered injuries to his back and arm, leaving a “trail of blood” on the factory surface.
The incident was disclosed in a 2021 injury report filed by Tesla with Travis County and federal regulators. While the injury report claimed that the engineer did not require time off work, an attorney representing Tesla’s Giga Texas contract workers flagged concerns about underreported injuries at the factory. The attorney, Hannah Alexander, works with the non-profit Workers Defense Project and stated that Tesla’s reports to authorities did not accurately reflect instances of injuries.
According to Alexander, underreporting extends to a worker’s death on September 28, 2021, named Antelmo Ramírez, who died of heat stroke while helping build Tesla’s Giga Texas factory. The Workers Defense Project filed a complaint last year with the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on behalf of workers at Giga Texas, alleging that Tesla’s contractors and subcontractors provided some hires with false safety certificates.
Tesla has faced scrutiny in the past for its safety standards, with reports of underreported cases and misclassification of on-the-job accidents and injuries to evade state regulators. The recent incident raises questions about the safety of automation in manufacturing settings and underscores the need for robust safety measures as companies increasingly rely on robotics and artificial intelligence in their operations.
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