GERMANY — A worker at a Volkswagen plant in Germany was killed by a production robot while on the job Monday.
According to reports, the robot grabbed the 22-year-old man, threw him against a metal slab, before pinning him to a metal plate.
The employee suffered severe contusions in his chest area. CPR was performed at the scene but the man died at the hospital.
From USA Today: “VW spokesman Heiko Hillwing says the incident was likely caused by a human error, and not because of faulty programming in the robot. However, the incident is still currently under investigation.
Another worker was standing outside of the cage at the time of the incident, but he was unharmed.
Automakers use dozens of robots at a typically assembly plant to perform a wide variety of tasks. They can range from welding to installing parts to painting.”
The Financial Times notes that robot-related deaths are quite rare, because “robots are kept behind safety cages,” which is where robots belong.
