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Federal regulators have cited Tesla for workplace safety violations following the electrocution of a worker last summer at its Austin, Texas, auto-manufacturing plant, the US Department of Labour confirmed in a statement.
“The investigation is closed and citations have been issued,” the department stated, referring to the findings of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which conducted the probe.
The Labour Department said the case was concluded in late January but declined to disclose details on Tesla’s safety failures or any penalties imposed.
The investigation followed the August 1 death of Victor Gomez Sr., an electrician working as a contractor at the Tesla plant.
According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Gomez’s family, he was electrocuted while inspecting electrical panels that were supposed to be inactive but had already been powered up. The lawsuit alleges negligence on Tesla’s part.
The case has drawn significant public attention amid broader debates over oversight of Tesla and other businesses run by billionaire Elon Musk.
On Wednesday, US Representative Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat whose district includes the Tesla plant, sent a letter to the Labour Department urging OSHA to release the full results of its investigation into Gomez’s death.
“Americans have a right to know whether Tesla and its contractors put a man’s life at risk, and whether Tesla will follow workplace safety rules going forward,” Casar’s letter stated.
He also warned that withholding public records on Tesla’s workplace safety could raise concerns about whether the agency is affording Musk preferential treatment.
Musk, who has played a significant role in shaping federal policy under US President Donald Trump, has not commented on the case.
The Tesla CEO, who spent over $250 million supporting Trump’s election, now leads the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which is tasked with cutting federal spending and staffing.
His businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, depend heavily on government contracts, subsidies, and policies.
The Austin plant, a 10-million-square-foot facility producing Tesla’s Model Y vehicles and Cybertrucks, has faced previous scrutiny over workplace safety.
OSHA records show Tesla was cited and fined approximately $7,000 for two workplace safety violations at the Texas plant in 2023, both related to chemical hazard protection failures.
Additionally, in 2022, the company faced complaints alleging that it failed to address workplace safety and wage-law violations by subcontractors during the plant’s construction.
Boluwatife Enome
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