Tesla factory in Texas plagued by explosions, injuries, and robot mishaps

author: FutureCar Staff    

Tesla is gearing up to deliver its first Cybertrucks to customers, but a new report sheds light on the troubling conditions at the Texas factory where the trucks are being built. The Gigafactory in Austin, Texas has seen its fair share of gruesome incidents, with one out of every 21 workers reportedly getting injured in 2022. This data comes from injury reports that Tesla is required to submit to OSHA.

One incident in 2021 involved an engineer who approached a robot arm that was supposed to be shut down. However, the machine unexpectedly clawed and pinned the engineer to the wall, causing him to bleed from his back and arms. After the emergency stop button was pressed, the engineer managed to free himself but ended up falling into a chute, leaving a trail of blood behind.

According to an injury report submitted by Tesla to Travis County, Texas, there was a robot-related incident, but it doesn't match the witness accounts. The official report doesn't mention any missed work time. In unrelated incidents in August 2022, one worker's ankle got caught under a cart, resulting in 127 days of absence from work. Shortly after, another worker suffered a head injury that kept them out of work for 85 days.

More recent injury reports reveal additional accidents. Around New Year's 2023, a worker in the metal casting area was concussed after being launched back from an explosion. The blast was allegedly caused by water accidentally mixing into the molten aluminum press machine. A witness who saw the surveillance video described a ball of fire and smoke being sent into the air, damaging the die and curling up a door that seals the chamber. It's unclear if Tesla reported this incident to OSHA, as there was reportedly no inspection conducted.

Another worker claims that the molding machine frequently spits out molten metal due to a sealing issue. When a worker suggested a solution to fix the problem, they were reprimanded and told that shutting down the machine would slow down production output.

In June, contractors installing metal grating for elevated walkways at the factory fell to the ground due to a lack of protective equipment. Some of the metal walkway landed on top of them, resulting in fractures and a punctured lung. OSHA inspected this incident and fined the contractors.

Incidents of objects falling from above have also been reported at the factory. The Information states that air conditioning ducts, steel beams, and other building materials have crashed to the ground near autoworkers.

It's worth noting that Tesla's Fremont factory in California has also faced criticism for its worker injury rates. Employees at the Fremont factory have a higher injury rate than the national average. Tesla has been accused of underreporting injuries and failing to address hazards, including those in an outdoor tent that was set up for the assembly line, resulting in fines.

Tesla's Gigafactory in Austin opened in April 2022, approximately two years after it was initially announced in 2020. Employees have described the work culture at the company as "ultra hardcore," with long hours, unsafe working conditions, and incidents of harassment.

FutureCar Staff