Tesla is facing significant fines totaling nearly $50,000 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following the death of a contract worker at their Austin Gigafactory. The penalties are a result of an investigation into the electrocution of Victor Gomez Sr., a 46-year-old electrician who fatally suffered an accident while inspecting electrical panels in August of last year. According to CBS Austin, OSHA's issued three 'serious' citations and discovered that Tesla failed to provide workers with adequate protective equipment or safeguards against working near live circuits.
The fines stem from violations that OSHA believes Tesla should have prevented in order to safeguard their workers from electrical hazards. In the words of former OSHA inspector Rick Gleason, in a statement obtained by CBS Austin, Tesla is "still on step one" in terms of their safety violation penalties, hinting at the potential for more severe repercussions should similar incidences continue to occur. Gleason called the outcome for such a large company involving a lack of proper lockout procedures or exposures to electrical hazards in the workplace as "pretty reasonable."
The OSHA penalties were further probed by Austin-area Congressman Greg Casar, who has been critical of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's leveraging of influence in Washington. Casar highlighted the gravity of the situation, saying, "an electrician’s death should not be treated any differently because the CEO he died working for happens to be rich and powerful," in a statement emailed to KERA News. Casar’s comments reflect concerns that federal officials might not hold Tesla accountable due to Musk's position.
OSHA's findings indicated that employees, including Victor Gomez Sr., were made to work close to energized parts without wearing the proper personal protective equipment. An additional fine cited by OSHA notes that 'Quality control employees were exposed to electrical hazards while performing tests and inspections on newly installed electrical equipment without prior hazard analysis, warning signs, and communication of safe work procedures,' as reported by KERA News. This federal scrutiny comes on the heels of previous fines levied against Tesla, including one for nearly $7,000 last year for chemical hazard violations at the same facility.
While Tesla has contested the violations and has the option to appeal within 15 days of the citations, the matter is further complicated by the ongoing wrongful death lawsuit initiated by the Gomez family. As these legal proceedings unfold, Tesla's response will likely be closely scrutinized by both safety advocates and industry observers alike. Tesla's lawyer has not issued a response regarding the fines or how they might influence the pending negligence lawsuit.
