Robot kills worker at Volkswagen plant
A robot has killed a contractor at one of Volkswagen’s production plants in Germany.
The man died Monday at the plant in Baunatal, roughly 62 miles north of Frankfurt, VW spokesman Heiko Hillwig said.
The 22-year-old was part of a team that was setting up the stationary robot when it grabbed and crushed him against a metal plate, said Heiko.
Initial conclusions suggest that human error was to blame, rather than a problem with the robot, which can be programmed to perform various tasks in the assembly process. The robot normally operates within a confined area at the plant, grabbing auto parts and manipulating them.
Another contractor was present when the incident occurred, but wasn’t harmed, added Heiko. No more details on the incident were provided, due to the ongoing investigation.
German news agency dpa reported that prosecutors were considering whether to bring charges, and if so, against whom.
