The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined Elon Musk’s Tesla almost $50,000 for alleged safety lapses following the death of an electrician at the company’s Austin factory last year.
KUT News reports that Elon Musk’s Tesla is facing a fine from the federal government after a worker tragically died at its Austin, Texas factory in August 2024. OSHA cited Tesla for three serious violations, each carrying a fine of $16,550, for a total of nearly $50,000.
The fines were issued following an investigation into the death of Victor Joe Gomez Sr., an electrician who died at the Tesla manufacturing plant on August 1, 2024. Gomez’s family filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that he was electrocuted while inspecting panels that should have been powered off.
OSHA’s citations reveal that Tesla failed to provide proper protective equipment to employees and allowed them to work too closely to electric power circuits without adequate warning. One citation stated, “On or about August 1, 2024, and at times prior thereto, an employee was working in close proximity to energized parts without wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.” Another citation noted 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.”
This is not the first time Tesla has faced fines for safety violations. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor fined the company nearly $7,000 for exposing its gigafactory workers to chemicals.
Tesla’s lawyer in the negligence lawsuit did not respond to requests for comment from KUT about the fines or how they might impact the ongoing case. The company has contested the violations, according to an OSHA spokesman.
Read more at KUT News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
Read the full article here
