The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined Tesla Motors $89,000 for seven safety violations related to a workplace accident that injured and burned three workers in November.
Six of the violations were considered “serious,” per a Cal-OSHA report released Thursday about the Nov. 13 incident that injured Tesla employees Jesus Navarro, Kevin Carter and Jorge Terrazas when their clothes caught fire after a low-pressure aluminum casting press failed and spilled hot metal on them.
“Molten metal was released splattering the three victims, the victims’ clothing caught fire, they stopped and rolled on the floor,” according to the report. “The safety department called 911. The Fremont Fire Department arrived within 10 minutes, approximately.”
All three employees suffered second- and third-degree burns. Carter and Terrazas have returned to work, while Navarro, who suffered burns on his hands, stomach, hip, lower back and ankles is still recuperating at home after a 20-day hospital stay.
The Cal-OSHA report blamed Tesla for failing to ensure that the low-pressure die casting machine was maintained in a safe operating condition and allowed its employees to operate the machine while the safety interlock was broken. It also found that employees had not been properly trained and were not wearing necessary face and eye protection.
Tesla will appeal the fine because they “believe there are aspects of the citations that merit further discussion.”
The Fremont plant, known as the “Tesla Factory” is a state-of-the-art facility that produces the all-electric Model S sedan.
Source: MercuryNews.com
