A Tesla engineer was fatally attacked by a robot during a malfunction at the Giga Texas factory near Austin, causing horror to two witnesses who watched the attack, according to Daily Mail.
The man was pinning two disabled Tesla robots when the robot, which was meant to grip and move freshly cast aluminium vehicle parts, sank its metal claws into the worker’s back and arm, leaving a “trail of blood” across the factory floor.
The incident — which left the victim with an ‘open wound’ on his left hand — was revealed in a 2021 injury report, Daily Mail reported citing reviewed documents.
No other robot-related injuries were reported to regulators in 2021 or 2022, but the incident comes amid growing concerns over the risks of automated robots in the workplace.
Some have questioned the rapid adoption of new technology in light of reports of increased injuries from robotic coworkers at Amazon shipment centres, murderous droid doctors, self-driving automobiles, and even aggression from robotic chess instructors.
Tesla’s injury report, required to maintain tax breaks in Texas, claimed the engineer did not require time off work. However, an attorney representing Tesla’s Giga Texas contract workers believes the number of injuries suffered at the factory is underreported, based on conversations with workers.
This assertion is backed by the unreported death of a construction worker in September 2021 and conversations with other employees, BNN reported.
Furthermore, the Workers Defense Project has complained to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), alleging that Tesla’s contractors provided false safety certificates to some workers.
This situation is not unique as there has been a history of Tesla underreporting injuries.
Numerous inquiries have exposed the misclassification of workplace accidents to evade regulatory attention.
The recurring worries regarding the security of robotic automation in the workplace are heightened by the Giga Texas incident.
