(CMR) A Tesla engineer was attacked by a robot that sunk its claws in his back during a malfunction at the company's Texas factory in 2021, according to an incident report filed with regulators.
The employee was attacked by the machine designed to grab and move freshly cast aluminum car parts.
Reports are that the robot pinned the man, who was then programming software for two disabled Tesla robots nearby, before sinking its metal claws into his back and arm, leaving a ‘trail of blood' along the factory surface.
The engineer was able to break free from the robot after a colleague pressed the emergency stop button. He reportedly tumbled a few feet down a chute intended for collecting scrap aluminum, leaving a trail of blood.
According to reports, Tesla said the engineer’s injuries did not require him to take any time off work.
News of the attack has resurfaced amid concerns over automated technology and reports of injuries in Tesla’s factories that have been allegedly swept under the rug.
“We’ve had multiple workers who were injured and one worker who died, whose injuries or death are not in these reports that Tesla is supposed to be accurately completing and submitting to the county in order to get tax incentives,” Hannah Alexander, an attorney for the nonprofit Workers Defense Project, said.
Tesla has faced criticism for its handling of workplace safety and accident reporting.
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