2y ago

Tesla worker injured [in 2021] by robot that 'pinned' him to wall with its claws at car company's Texas factory

news.sky.com

Tesla worker injured by robot that 'pinned' him to wall with its claws at car company's Texas factory

given the scrutiny around Tesla, it's interesting this story doesn't seem to have come out sooner since this is a fairly novel workplace accident

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Important context autotldr missed:
The incident happened when the engineer was programming the software that controls the robots, which cut car parts from aluminium, The Information reported.
Two of the robots were disabled, but a third was inadvertently left on. As it went through its normal motions, it caught the worker in its claws.
Yikes, that should be checked multiple times before someone gets close to the clawed aluminum cutting robot. Failure of process, I suspect.
- Lock out procedure wasn't followed properly. You're supposed to check that equipment is in a safe state before you go into a dangerous area like that.
  
  Yes but if for example management is pressuring employees to make repairs in X amount of time that causes them to have to rush, its the company's fault. Similar to Norfolk Southern giving train engineers 45 seconds per train car to do safety inspections.
  
  Almost one in 21 workers at Tesla's Giga Texas factory was injured on the job in 2022, according to The Information, compared to the industry average of one in 30.
  It’s almost like they have some systemic issue with safety and procedures or something…
  
  Occupational hazard. Doesn't mean said engineer isn't owed compensation though. On the contrary.
- Considering the subject matter, perhaps the auto-TLDR bot has a conflict of interest!
Is this the same Tesla plant that has no caution stripes because Elon hates yellow and black? Or the one that violated EPA regulations? Not surprised in the slightest
Fun fact, back in 2018, Tesla factories have less safety signs and signals because Elon Musk hates yellow (so no safety tape telling people where not to stand) and cannot stand the beeping noise forklifts make when they reverse.
Source: https://revealnews.org/article/tesla-says-its-factory-is-safer-but-it-left-injuries-off-the-books/
Absolutely baffled how more people aren't killed at Tesla factories, tbh.
- This is kind of tangential, but white noise backup alarms are neat.
I'm an engineer who works in an industrial environment, and I regularly have to repair or reprogram hazardous equipment. Here are a few takeaways I got from the descriptions of the Tesla incident:
Lockout/tagout was not being respected. If you don't have a lock, yank the fuse and stick it in your pocket. But whatever you do, when working on a machine, you must maintain exclusive control so nobody activates it while you're inside the approach boundary.
Why was the engineer in the approach boundary for a "software update?" I feel like I'm missing some important context there.
Where were the hazard indicators? A hazardous device needs sound or light indicators, so nobody forgets they left it plugged in.
Where was the machine guarding? If it can kill you, entering the hazardous area should shut the machine off with or without LOTO. I'm partial to interlocked gates, but cordons and light curtains are popular for a reason.
If the machine guarding was disabled, where were the observers? The last time I activated a machine with the light curtains overriden, I had three other engineers on standby, one at the E-Stop, one with a rescue hook, and one just to watch.
- In addition, while some companies try to blame workwrs for recordable incidents, safety is always ultimately management's responsibility. Safety controls or procedures missing? That's management's fault. Workers disabling safety controls out of malice or hubris? Managment is at fault for hiring them. Workers so overworked and tired they don't notice mistakes while operating lethal equipment? Management. Workers having to choose between having a job and doing it safely? Management. Lack of safety culture? Management.
  With power comes responsibility, and in modern corporations, management has all the power.
- I worked IT for a machine shop a while back and one of the giant machines had a sign posted next to it :
  "This machine has no brains, so use yours"
SORRY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ELON MUSK. END STATEMENT.
This is what happens when you promote a robot to manager.
Why are we building robots with claws?? That seems like a bad idea.
- When they grab you with their metal claws, you can’t break free. Because robots are strong, and they’re made of metal.
Was that Bender or Star Wars?
- Part of the Star Wars Trek, not the Star Trek Wars.
- Pay them to care more?
🤖 I'm a bot that provides automatic summaries for articles: ::: spoiler Click here to see the summary The robot "pushed its claws" into the man's body and drew blood from his back and arm, two witnesses told US technology website The Information.
After another worker hit the emergency stop button, the engineer managed to escape the robot's grasp and fell down a chute designed to collect scrap metal, "leaving a trail of blood behind him", one of the witnesses said.
The incident happened when the engineer was programming the software that controls the robots, which cut car parts from aluminium, The Information reported.
Read more from Sky News:Apple fears 'irreparable harm' after watch sale ban'Pints' of wine to be sold in Britain for the first time
The Texas site has been Tesla's global headquarters since 2021, when chief executive Elon Musk announced he was shifting the company's home from California.
Musk's SpaceX rocket company also has a launch site at the state's southern tip, and he moved to Texas in 2020.
Saved 42% of original text. :::

30 comments