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A Tesla engineer at the company’s factory near Austin was allegedly attacked by a robot in 2021, according to an incident report filed with regulators.
Witnesses allegedly observed the robot at the Giga Texas factory pin the engineer and claw at his back and arm, causing a “trail of blood” on the factory floor, according to the 2021 injury report filed to Travis county and federal regulators, which was reviewed by DailyMail.com.
The robot reportedly immobilised the engineer and left the victim with an “open wound” on his left hand.
The robot was designed to handle freshly-cast aluminium car parts.
The Independent has contacted Tesla for comment.
The engineer was able to break free from the assembly robot after a colleague pressed the emergency stop button. Upon being released, the engineer reportedly tumbled a few feet down a chute intended for collecting scrap aluminium, leaving a trail of blood.
According to reports, Tesla said the engineer’s injuries did not require him to take any time off work.
Tesla has faced criticism for its handling of workplace safety and accident reporting. At the Giga Texas plant, data has shown a higher rate of injuries compared to industry averages. In cases of severe on-the-job injuries, the ratio was one in every 26 workers at the Tesla Giga Texas plant compared to one in 38 workers at other major US auto factories.
