Texas certainly lives up to its reputation – everything is bigger there, including Elon Musk’s massive factory for Tesla that Joe Tegtmeyer of Drone Tech Services captured during this new video of construction at Giga Texas.
Engineers tasked with programming software for robots at the plant were attacked when one of them malfunctioned and pinched them down, digging its claws into his back and arm, leaving behind a trail of blood.
Tesla’s Texas Factory Attack Details
Two years ago, an engineer at Teslas Texas factory was attacked by one of the robots he was programming, according to media reports. Designed to move aluminum car parts, the machine pinned him against a wall before digging its metal claws into his back and arm causing serious injuries resulting in bloody cuts on both. According to both technology news site The Information and Daily Mail articles regarding this incident.
Engineer was eventually able to free himself by pressing an emergency button, though not before falling a few feet down a chute intended for scrap aluminum. According to a Tesla’s 2021 injury report filed with Texas regulators, his left hand experienced “laceration, cut or open wound”, but no time off work was required as a result of his injuries.
Tesla is legally required to report injuries on its factory floor, yet some employees believe the company underreports incidents at its sprawling Gigafactory near Austin. A lawyer representing contract workers at the plant believes there may be many more injuries reported than what regulators receive information on.
THE ATTACK
One of the three robots used at the Texas factory to grab and move aluminum car parts pinned an engineer as he programmed software for two inoperative machines, according to a 2021 injury report submitted to Travis County. The robot dug its metal claws into his back and arm before leaving an open wound on his left hand. Once another worker pressed an emergency stop button he was finally free and fell down a chute designed to collect scrap aluminium leaving behind bloodstains as it fell along its path.
The incident draws attention to growing concerns over the treatment of human workers by AI-powered machinery, including injuries caused by robotic coworkers at Amazon shipment centers, murderous droid surgeons and aggressive self-driving cars. Tesla claims its factory has been safe for employees but some former and current workers told The Information that pressure from management to keep production fast has led to safety lapses at their Gigafactory.
An attorney representing contract workers at Tesla believes they are underreporting injuries to employees.
THE INJURY
Two years ago, an engineer working for Tesla at its Texas Gigafactory was pinched by one of their robots and had claws embedded into his back and arm, according to eyewitness accounts. Tesla filed an official incident report detailing this event with Travis County and federal regulators which states the engineer suffered “laceration, cut or open wound” that did not require time off work.
Last year, Tesla submitted injury reports to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration detailing injuries suffered at their Gigafactories, prompting contract worker attorneys to express concerns that Tesla may have underreported accidents. Furthermore, current and former employees have complained of constant pressure to produce car parts faster than the company can keep up with; shouting matches and physical altercations occur daily, yet managers seem largely indifferent to such reports.
THE REPORT
One witness saw an engineer try to fight free of the robot’s metal claws before being pulled back down a chute used to collect scrap aluminum and leaving a trail of blood behind them. According to Tesla’s 2021 annual compliance report required in Travis County for tax breaks, their injuries did not necessitate time off work.
An incident took place in 2021, when Tesla launched construction of their Gigafactory outside Austin. A contractor named Antelmo Ramirez died from heat stroke due to working on this 2,000-acre facility and in September of that year died due to heatstroke while working there.
An attorney representing contract workers at Tesla claims the company underreports injuries. She filed a formal complaint with Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleging the company misclassifies accidents as personal medical issues in order to bypass regulators. California OSHA inspectors discovered similar underreporting by Tesla last year; additionally, Tesla failed to report an explosion which sent molten aluminum showering through its walls that resulted in one death.
