Tesla (TSLA) factory where employee died had safety weakness

According to several news reports Wednesday, Government inspectors have concluded that Tesla’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) Shanghai factory where an employee died in a Feb. 4 accident has weaknesses in its safety measures.

Investigators found that two workers in the factory’s wielding workshop didn’t strictly follow safety rules during a shift transition, according to the report by the Shanghai Pudong New Area Emergency Management Bureau. Pudong is where the plant is based.

According to the report, the worker didn’t lock a safety gate during a late shift, and another employee failed to make sure the area was clear of people before turning on equipment that crushed the 31-year-old employee, who died later at a hospital.

The emergency bureau recommended an unspecified penalty for Tesla, the business news magazine Caixin reported, citing a copy of the report posted on the city government website.

The report was removed from the website Wednesday after Tesla allegedly asked for the report not to be made public because it contained photos of its production process.

Posts appearing to be from Tesla employees circulated social media Monday. The employees appeared to be complaining that their bonuses were cut due to the fatality. They appealed to CEO Elon Musk.

Musk responded on Twitter Monday saying, “Was alerted this weekend. Looking into it.”

Shares of TSLA are down 0.96% in afternoon trading on Wednesday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]

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