When a robot at the Giga Texas plant in Austin severely attacked a Tesla engineer following a “violent” breakdown, witnesses were terrified, according to Daily Mail.
As the engineer was pinning two disabled Tesla robots, the robot, which was meant to grab and transfer recently cast aluminum vehicle parts, dug its metal claws into the worker’s back and arm, leaving a “trail of blood” across the factory floor.
The victim of the attack had a “open wound” on his left hand, according to records reviewed by Daily Mail. This information was revealed in an injury report dated 2021.
The incident comes after growing concerns about the risks of autonomous robots in the workplace, even though no additional robot-related injuries were reported to regulators in 2021 or 2022.
In light of tales of growing injuries from robotic coworkers at Amazon fulfillment centers, violent droid physicians, self-driving cars, and even aggressiveness from robotic chess instructors, some have questioned the quick adoption of new technology.
Although the engineer did not need time off work, according to Tesla’s injury report—which was necessary to keep Texas tax breaks—an attorney for the company’s contract employees speculates that the true number of injuries may be larger than what was disclosed.
The unreported death of a construction worker in September 2021 and interviews with other staff members support this claim, according to BNN.
The unreported death of a construction worker in September 2021 and interviews with other staff members support this claim, according to BNN.
Moreover, the Workers Defense Project has filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on behalf of certain workers, claiming that bogus safety certificates were given to them by Tesla’s contractors.
This is not an isolated incident; Tesla has a history of underreporting injuries.
Several investigations have shown that workplace accidents are being misclassified in order to avoid regulatory action.
The Giga Texas incident has intensified ongoing concerns about the security of robotic automation in the workplace.
