Automation often represents an increase in productivity and production efficiency, but it is also questioned that it will deprive humans of jobs. According to the latest news from the media, new risks may arise in the automation process. According to the "Daily Mail", in 2021, a Tesla engineer was attacked by a machine while working at the Tesla Gigafactory in Texas, USA.
The engineer was writing software for a Tesla robot when he was attacked by a machine designed to grab and move newly cast aluminum car parts, driving its metal claws into the engineer's back and arms, causing a bloody incident, according to two witnesses.
Tesla's Texas Gigafactory subsequently disclosed the incident to U.S. federal regulators, confirming that the victim suffered an open wound on his left hand.
There have been reports of violence at Amazon shipping centers, surgical hospitals, self-driving cars and even robots that serve as chess coaches, and some critics are hesitant to quickly integrate new technologies into production.
The cost of efficiency
Tesla said in the filing that although the engineer's left hand was injured, he did not need to take time off to recover. However, two witnesses said the situation was quite urgent. After his colleagues pressed the switch on the robot, the engineer still fell several feet from a slide, leaving a trail of blood.
Some people familiar with the matter believe that Tesla is suspected of deliberately reducing the seriousness of the incident. According to a survey, one in 21 people at Tesla's Texas factory will be injured in 2022, which is much higher than the industry median.
According to sources, the rapid production facility that took two years to build at the Texas Gigafactory has safety flaws and has led to frequent workplace injuries.
Previously, Tesla was sought after by the industry for its efficient automated production facilities. Tesla CEO Musk said that between 2017 and 2019, he worked hard on reforms and finally achieved mass production ramp. Almost all of Tesla's component production is 75% automated.
But behind the efficiency, Tesla's report also disclosed a variety of causes of workplace injuries, including blunt force trauma or chemical burns. In August 2022, an employee's ankle got caught on a moving cart, rendering him unable to work for more than four months. Soon after, another material handler was hit in the head with a metal object and was out of work for 85 days.
Worker protection lawyer Hannah Alexander further pointed out that Tesla obviously covered up the injuries of workers in order to obtain Texas and federal subsidies. Many workers she spoke with said their injuries were not reported.
In addition to the harm caused by automation, Alexander also emphasized that because the Texas Gigafactory is so large, with an area equivalent to 100 football fields, the factory has not completed all construction and only operates part of it. This half-finished structure may also contribute to the higher-than-average injury rate among workers at the plant.
As of now, Tesla has not responded to this news.