AUSTIN, Texas – A Tesla engineer at the company’s Giga Texas factory near Austin was attacked by a robot during a malfunction that left the worker with serious injuries. The incident, reported in a 2021 injury report, revealed that the engineer suffered “open wounds” on his left hand after being attacked by the machine designed to grab and move freshly cast aluminum car parts. Despite the injuries, the engineer did not require time off from work.
The incident at the Giga Texas factory has raised concerns about the risks of automated robots in the workplace. This comes amid reports of increased injuries in workplaces where automated robots are becoming more prevalent, including at Amazon shipment centers and in the healthcare industry.
An attorney representing Tesla’s Giga Texas contract workers has raised concerns about underreporting of injuries at the factory. She claims that the number of injuries suffered at the factory is being underreported, including the death of a construction worker in September 2021. The attorney alleges that Tesla’s reports to authorities do not accurately reflect the injuries and deaths occurring at the factory.
Tesla’s Giga Texas plant has reported a higher rate of accidents and injuries compared to the rest of the auto industry. According to self-reported data, about one out of every 21 workers at the factory was injured on the job in 2022, a higher rate than the industry median. The factory also reported a high number of serious injuries that required time off from work.
The location of the factory has also come under scrutiny, with concerns raised about lax safety measures and increased injuries due to the rapid two-year construction of the facility. The Texas factory, which spans over 10 million square-feet, has faced criticism for operating portions of the factory while the rest was still being built, potentially contributing to the higher injury rates.