A Tesla software engineer suffered severe injuries when he was attacked by a malfunctioning robot on the floor of the electric car maker’s factory in Austin, Texas. Witnesses said that the robot, which was designed to move aluminum car parts, pinned the engineer and sank its metal claws into his back and arm, leaving a trail of blood along the floor. The engineer was programming software that controls robots to cut car parts from freshly cast aluminum pieces.
While two of the robots were disabled so that the engineer and his crew could work on the machines, a third was inadvertently left on, resulting in the attack two years ago, witnesses told the Information. The injury was not severe enough to require the employee to take time off. Tesla spokesmen declined to comment.[1]
See: https://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/tesla-bots-are-you-ready
Injury reports submitted to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleged that nearly one out of every 21 workers at the Giga Texas factory got hurt last year. In the automotive industry, the median injury rate last year was one in every 30 workers.
Several current and former Tesla workers employed at the factory reported that the company regularly cut corners on construction, maintenance and operations, placing them at risk. Unverified sources said that management’s demands for speedy production have led to safety lapses.
Witnesses reported that heavy machinery, including a crane, a steel beam, and an air conditioning duct, had fallen near workers on car production lines. Records reviewed by the Information found that factory workers fell ill after exposure to toxins such as ammonia.
In the summer of 2023, an employee’s ankle was caught under a moving cart, forcing them to miss more than four months of work. Days later, another worker was struck in the head by a metal object, forcing them to miss 85 days of work. Tesla employees at the factory said they witnessed forklifts collide with workers on the assembly floor.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s company began construction on the factory in the summer of 2020 after the mogul was outraged by California regulators who limited business operations due to the spread of the coronavirus. In late 2021, Tesla officially relocated its headquarters from Palo Alto, Calif., to Austin. Musk has stated that he aims for the 10 million-square-foot facility to help produce 20 million cars annually by 2030.
Construction at the Texas facility is ongoing. By the time work is finished, Tesla aims to employ 60,000 people there. A Tesla spokesman has said it expects to spend up to $10 billion to complete plant construction.
This article is presented at no charge for educational and informational purposes only.
Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. Call for assistance. For questions, comments, a demo, or assistance, please get in touch with the office directly at 1-844-492-7225, or feedback@redskyalliance.com
Reporting: https://www.redskyalliance.org/
Website: https://www.redskyalliance.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/64265941
Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings:
REDSHORTS - Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5993554863383553632
[1] https://www.oodaloop.com/briefs/2023/12/27/tesla-robot-attacked-engineer-with-its-claws/
Comments