Industrial robots incidents
Incidents involving fixed industrial robots and robotic cells in factories: robot arms, palletizers and automated machinery that injured or killed workers.
- 13
- Incidents recorded
- 11
- Deaths
- 2
- Reported injuries
- 1979–25
- Years covered
13 records
Most recent first- Fatal
Palermo's Pizza worker crushed by robotic machine in West Milwaukee
A 45-year-old employee at the Palermo's Pizza plant in West Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was crushed by a robotic machine on September 17, 2025, the medical examiner's office said.
- Fatal
Schreiber Foods worker killed in automated palletizer in Carthage
A 48-year-old worker died on February 6, 2024, after becoming trapped in an automated palletizing machine at the Schreiber Foods plant in Carthage, Missouri.
- Serious injury
Lawsuit says FANUC robot arm knocked out Tesla technician in Fremont
A former Tesla robotics technician alleges a FANUC robot arm struck him and knocked him unconscious during disassembly at the Fremont factory on July 22, 2023.
- Minor injury
Tesla engineer injured by industrial robot at Giga Texas in 2021
An engineer at Tesla's Austin factory was injured by an industrial robot in 2021. Witness accounts published in 2023 describe a more serious event than Tesla's injury report.
- Fatal
Temporary worker crushed in robotic cell at Ajin USA plant in Cusseta
A 20-year-old temporary worker at auto parts maker Ajin USA in Cusseta, Alabama, was fatally crushed on June 18, 2016, when a robot restarted as she cleared a sensor fault.
- Fatal
Maintenance technician killed by robot at Ventra Ionia auto parts plant
A 57-year-old maintenance technician was crushed by a robot in a trailer-hitch assembly line at the Ventra Ionia Main plant in Ionia, Michigan, on July 7, 2015.
- Fatal
Nissan maintenance technician killed by robot at Smyrna assembly plant
A 43-year-old maintenance technician at Nissan's Smyrna, Tennessee plant was struck and killed by an articulating robot on June 16, 2013, while replacing its gears.
- Fatal
Temporary worker crushed by palletizer at Bacardi Bottling in Jacksonville
A temporary worker on his first day at Bacardi Bottling in Jacksonville, Florida, was crushed in August 2012 when a palletizing machine was restarted while he cleaned under it.
- Fatal
Golden State Foods bakery worker killed at robotic box sorter in Industry
A 40-year-old worker at a Golden State Foods bakery in City of Industry, California, was killed on July 21, 2009, reportedly crushed between a conveyor and a robot arm.
- Fatal
Gantry robot fatally strikes mold setter at Michigan plastics plant
A 29-year-old mold setter at a Michigan injection molding company died on January 19, 2001, after a cycling gantry robot struck his head as he leaned over the machine.
- Fatal
Robotic platform kills carousel operator at Nebraska meat packing plant
A 23-year-old carousel operator at a Nebraska meat packing plant was killed on June 8, 1999, when he tripped a sensor and a computer-controlled platform descended on him.
- Fatal
Die-cast operator fatally pinned by Unimate robot at Michigan plant
A 34-year-old die-cast operator was pinned between an industrial robot and a steel pole at a Michigan plant on July 21, 1984, and died five days later.
- Fatal
Ford casting plant worker killed by parts-retrieval robot in Flat Rock
A 25-year-old worker at Ford's Flat Rock, Michigan casting plant was struck and killed by a transfer vehicle of an automated parts storage system in January 1979.