What’s new: Tesla has loopholes in its safety measures and should be punished for the death of a worker Feb. 4 at its giant electric-vehicle factory in Shanghai, according to an investigation report issued by city authorities.
Investigators found that two workers in the factory’s wielding workshop didn’t strictly follow safety rules when handing a shift transition, according to the report by the Shanghai Pudong New Area Emergency Management Bureau.
When an evening shift worker entered a danger zone to work, the worker didn’t lock a safety gate. A morning shift worker didn’t make sure that the danger zone was clear of people before turning on equipment, causing the evening shift worker to be crushed by equipment and die, according to the report.
The investigation concluded that the dead worker was directly responsible for the disaster and that Tesla has faults in its risk control measures and should be held responsible. The report recommends an unspecified administrative penalty for Tesla.
The background: Posts circulated on social media Monday — allegedly posted by Tesla Shanghai factory workers — complaining that their bonuses were being reduced due to a fatal accident at the plant. The workers appealed in the posts to Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk to resolve the issue.
Musk tweeted Monday that he was alerted this weekend and is “looking into” it.
Tesla’s Shanghai factory accounted for more than half of its global production last year, making more than 750,000 vehicles a year. The Model Y and Model 3 made in the factory are sold in China and overseas. Tesla has more than 10,000 workers at the plant.
Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bob.simison@caixin.com)
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